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View synonyms for defective

defective

[ dih-fek-tiv ]

adjective

  1. Sometimes defected. having a defect or flaw; faulty; imperfect:

    a defective machine.

    Synonyms: deficient, incomplete

    Antonyms: complete, perfect

  2. Psychology. characterized by subnormal intelligence or behavior.
  3. Grammar. (of an inflected word or its inflection) lacking one or more of the inflected forms proper to most words of the same class in the language, as English must, which occurs only in the present tense.


noun

  1. a defective person or thing.

defective

/ dɪˈfɛktɪv /

adjective

  1. having a defect or flaw; imperfect; faulty
  2. (of a person) below the usual standard or level, esp in intelligence
  3. grammar (of a word) lacking the full range of inflections characteristic of its form class, as for example must, which has no past tense


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Derived Forms

  • deˈfectiveness, noun
  • deˈfectively, adverb

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Other Words From

  • de·fec·tive·ly adverb
  • de·fec·tive·ness noun
  • non·de·fec·tive adjective
  • non·de·fec·tive·ly adverb
  • non·de·fec·tive·ness noun
  • pre·de·fec·tive adjective
  • un·de·fec·tive adjective
  • un·de·fec·tive·ly adverb
  • un·de·fec·tive·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of defective1

First recorded in 1375–1425; from Late Latin dēfectīvus, equivalent to dēfectus ( defect ) + -īvus -ive; replacing Middle English defectif, from Middle French, from Late Latin, as above

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