TOP

Definition of defective adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

defective

adjective
 
/dɪˈfektɪv/
 
/dɪˈfektɪv/
jump to other results
  1. having a fault or faults; not perfect or complete synonym faulty
    • If the goods are defective you should get a full refund.
    Extra Examples
    • The car was found to have defective brakes.
    • If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • prove
    adverb
    • highly
    • seriously
    • severely
    See full entry
  2. (sometimes offensive) having a physical problem with part of the body or the way that it works Some people dislike this use of defective, as they think it suggests somebody is not as good as other people.
    • Her hearing was found to be slightly defective.
    Extra Examples
    • His vision is severely defective.
    • She was born with defective hearing.
    • Some defective organs can now be replaced.
  3. Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French defectif, -ive or late Latin defectivus, from deficere ‘fail’, from de- (expressing reversal) + facere ‘do’.
See defective in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee defective in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
dizzy
adjective
 
 
From the Topic
Health problems
C1
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries Word of the Day