failure

[feyl-yer]

noun

1. an act or instance of failing fail or proving unsuccessful; lack of success.

   His effort ended in failure.

   The campaign was a failure.

2. nonperformance of something due, required, or expected.

   a failure to do what one has promised;

   a failure to appear.

3. a subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency.

   the failure of crops.

4. deterioration or decay, especially of vigor, strength, etc..

   The failure of her health made retirement necessary.

5. a condition of being bankrupt by reason of insolvency.

6. a becoming insolvent or bankrupt.

   the failure of a bank.

7. a person or thing that proves unsuccessful.

   He is a failure in his career.

   The cake is a failure.

failure

/ ˈfeɪljə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of failing

2. a person or thing that is unsuccessful or disappointing

   the evening was a failure

3. nonperformance of something required or expected

   failure to attend will be punished

4. cessation of normal operation; breakdown

   a power failure

5. an insufficiency or shortage

   a crop failure

6. a decline or loss, as in health or strength

7. the fact of not reaching the required standard in an examination, test, course, etc

8. the act or process of becoming bankrupt or the state of being bankrupt

Other Word Forms

• nonfailure noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of failure¹

First recorded in 1635–45; fail + -ure; replacing failer “a fault, default,” from Anglo-French (noun use of infinitive), for Old French faillir

Example Sentences

State governments and local actors are leveraging digital platforms to document policy failures, mobilize engagement, and counter federal messaging in real time.

Read more on Salon

They lost all 10 wickets in each match of this series, meaning their tally now stands at 18 such failures in 34 ODIs since the start of that tournament in India.

Read more on BBC

“Somehow, the United States of America has found a way to combine two of its greatest foreign policy failures — the Iraq War and the War on Drugs — into a single regime change narrative,” Adler said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

An inquest into Gunner Beck's death later found that the incident and the Army's failure to take appropriate action "more than minimally" contributed to her death.

Read more on BBC

This raises an important question: how can such small creatures with limited energy reserves survive by hunting large and rare prey, a tactic that usually requires tremendous effort and frequent failure?

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• bankruptcy 
• breakdown 
• collapse 
• decline 
• defeat 
• deficiency 
• deterioration 
• failing 
• loss 
• misstep