Defective
adjective
Having a problem, fault or not functioning properly.
The defective machine was returned to the manufacturer.
Often appears as...
- defective product
- defective equipment
adjective
Inadequate or insufficient in some respect.
He had a defective understanding of the topic.
Often appears as...
- defective knowledge
- defective strategy
adjective
Legally incomplete or invalid.
The contract was declared defective due to a missing clause.
Often appears as...
- defective contract
- defective document
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
adjective
Suffering from a genetic abnormality, having a physical or mental disability.
The child has a defective gene that causes the disorder.
Often appears as...
- defective gene
- defective chromosome
Usage tips
Technical
adjective
Having a problem, fault or not functioning properly.
The defective machine was returned to the manufacturer.
Often appears as...
- defective product
- defective equipment
adjective
Inadequate or insufficient in some respect.
He had a defective understanding of the topic.
Often appears as...
- defective knowledge
- defective strategy
adjective
Legally incomplete or invalid.
The contract was declared defective due to a missing clause.
Often appears as...
- defective contract
- defective document
Usage tips
Formal
Technical
adjective
Suffering from a genetic abnormality, having a physical or mental disability.
The child has a defective gene that causes the disorder.
Often appears as...
- defective gene
- defective chromosome
Usage tips
Technical
Definition 1 of 4
Pro Tip 1/3Return Policy
Understand when to use 'defective' in relation to warranties or guarantees for products.
Check if your defective phone is covered by warranty.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Implication
'Defective' implies that something lacks essential functionality and is unsatisfactory.
People often complain about defective electronics.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Visible
A defect may not always be visible; functionality tests can be necessary.
Though it looked fine, the device was defective.
Pro Tip 1/3Return Policy
Understand when to use 'defective' in relation to warranties or guarantees for products.
Check if your defective phone is covered by warranty.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Implication
'Defective' implies that something lacks essential functionality and is unsatisfactory.
People often complain about defective electronics.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Visible
A defect may not always be visible; functionality tests can be necessary.
Though it looked fine, the device was defective.
Pro Tip 1/3Return Policy
Understand when to use 'defective' in relation to warranties or guarantees for products.
Check if your defective phone is covered by warranty.
Pro Tip 2/3Negative Implication
'Defective' implies that something lacks essential functionality and is unsatisfactory.
People often complain about defective electronics.
Pro Tip 3/3Not Always Visible
A defect may not always be visible; functionality tests can be necessary.
Though it looked fine, the device was defective.
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Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
making many, many efforts to get off. I felt that if I could manage without medication, I could prove that, after all, I wasn't really mentally ill, it was some terrible mistake. My motto was the less medicine, the less defective. My L.A. analyst, Dr. Kaplan, was urging me just to stay on medication and get on with my life,
Video examples
Michael Merzenich:...
that have early language impairments, and that are going to struggle to learn to read, is that their language processor is created in a defective form. And the reason that it rises in a defective form is because early in the baby's brain's life the machine process is noisy.
Video examples
Why is it so hard to...
ALS could involve other cell types. ALS patients typically have inflammation in their brains and spinal cords. Defective immune cells may also play a role in killing motor neurons. And ALS seems to change the behavior of specific cells that provide support for neurons.
Video examples
How to connect with...
Maybe you've heard that depression is contagious, and you're afraid of catching it. Bring some hand sanitizer. You're much more likely to catch the joy of human bonding. Maybe you see depressed people differently. You think of them as flawed or defective.
Video examples
How college loans...
is it would free Americans from the fear and the fact of financial ruin because they bought a defective product. Perhaps, in time, young and old Americans may rediscover, as the gentleman said earlier, their curiosity, their love of learning --
Video examples
The movement that...
for men and women deemed “mentally defective.” This label was typically applied based on superficial mental health diagnoses and the results of IQ tests, which were linguistically and culturally biased against most immigrant populations.
Video examples
Amelia Earhart Part I:...
long career as an archaeologist tom took the search for amelia one step further by enlisting the help of bone-sniffing dogs we humans with our defective eyesight and our even more defective olfactory abilities
Video examples
How optical illusions...
Now look at this pan for baking muffins. Oh, sorry, one of the cups is inverted. It pops up instead of dipping down. Wait, no spin the pan. The other five are domed now? Whichever it is, this pan's defective.
Video examples
How CRISPR lets you edit...
called homology directed repair. This template DNA is used as a blueprint to guide the rebuilding process, repairing a defective gene or even inserting a completely new one. The ability to fix DNA errors
Video examples
An evolutionary...
but they make enough normal red blood cells that they aren't negatively affected by sickle cell anemia. Now in my case, the defective gene I carry won't protect me against malaria.
Video examples
A tale of mental illness...
making many, many efforts to get off. I felt that if I could manage without medication, I could prove that, after all, I wasn't really mentally ill, it was some terrible mistake. My motto was the less medicine, the less defective. My L.A. analyst, Dr. Kaplan, was urging me just to stay on medication and get on with my life,
Video examples
Michael Merzenich:...
that have early language impairments, and that are going to struggle to learn to read, is that their language processor is created in a defective form. And the reason that it rises in a defective form is because early in the baby's brain's life the machine process is noisy.
Video examples
Why is it so hard to...
ALS could involve other cell types. ALS patients typically have inflammation in their brains and spinal cords. Defective immune cells may also play a role in killing motor neurons. And ALS seems to change the behavior of specific cells that provide support for neurons.
Video examples
How to connect with...
Maybe you've heard that depression is contagious, and you're afraid of catching it. Bring some hand sanitizer. You're much more likely to catch the joy of human bonding. Maybe you see depressed people differently. You think of them as flawed or defective.
Video examples
How college loans...
is it would free Americans from the fear and the fact of financial ruin because they bought a defective product. Perhaps, in time, young and old Americans may rediscover, as the gentleman said earlier, their curiosity, their love of learning --
Video examples
The movement that...
for men and women deemed “mentally defective.” This label was typically applied based on superficial mental health diagnoses and the results of IQ tests, which were linguistically and culturally biased against most immigrant populations.
Video examples
Amelia Earhart Part I:...
long career as an archaeologist tom took the search for amelia one step further by enlisting the help of bone-sniffing dogs we humans with our defective eyesight and our even more defective olfactory abilities
Video examples
How optical illusions...
Now look at this pan for baking muffins. Oh, sorry, one of the cups is inverted. It pops up instead of dipping down. Wait, no spin the pan. The other five are domed now? Whichever it is, this pan's defective.
Video examples
How CRISPR lets you edit...
called homology directed repair. This template DNA is used as a blueprint to guide the rebuilding process, repairing a defective gene or even inserting a completely new one. The ability to fix DNA errors
Video examples
An evolutionary...
but they make enough normal red blood cells that they aren't negatively affected by sickle cell anemia. Now in my case, the defective gene I carry won't protect me against malaria.
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
John Gurdon
English Scientist
If you took some famous religious leader, for example, and said it would be nice to clone them indefinitely so you have a dynasty of leaders, my own guess would be that each time the cloning takes place, they would become more and more defective, presumably mentally defective and subsequently worse.
Quote examples
Giordano Bruno
Italian Philosopher
Because of the active principle and spirit or universal soul, nothing is so incomplete, defective or imperfect, or, according to common opinion, so completely insignificant that it could not become the source of great events.
Quote examples
Magdi Yacoub
Egyptian Scientist
The nanofibrillar scaffolds designed to guide the process of cellular repopulation is an important step towards prolonging life and enhancing the quality of life for patients with advanced heart disease with defective valve.
Quote examples
Lao Tzu
Chinese Philosopher
It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.
Quote examples
Isaac Newton
English Mathematician
If the experiments which I urge be defective, it cannot be difficult to show the defects; but if valid, then by proving the theory, they must render all objections invalid.
Quote examples
W. Edwards Deming
American Scientist
No one knows the cost of a defective product - don't tell me you do. You know the cost of replacing it, but not the cost of a dissatisfied customer.
Quote examples
Blake Farenthold
American Politician
Why should guns be treated different than toasters? If your defective product injures somebody, you're responsible for it.
Quote examples
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Roman Statesman
The study and knowledge of the universe would somehow be lame and defective were no practical results to follow.
Quote examples
Morley Safer
Canadian Journalist
What does it say about us that people who are considered defective are instinctively caring and compassionate?
Quote examples
P. D. James
English Novelist
Human kindness is like a defective tap, the first gush may be impressive but the stream soon dries up.
Quote examples
John Gurdon
English Scientist
If you took some famous religious leader, for example, and said it would be nice to clone them indefinitely so you have a dynasty of leaders, my own guess would be that each time the cloning takes place, they would become more and more defective, presumably mentally defective and subsequently worse.
Quote examples
Giordano Bruno
Italian Philosopher
Because of the active principle and spirit or universal soul, nothing is so incomplete, defective or imperfect, or, according to common opinion, so completely insignificant that it could not become the source of great events.
Quote examples
Magdi Yacoub
Egyptian Scientist
The nanofibrillar scaffolds designed to guide the process of cellular repopulation is an important step towards prolonging life and enhancing the quality of life for patients with advanced heart disease with defective valve.
Quote examples
Lao Tzu
Chinese Philosopher
It is better to do one's own duty, however defective it may be, than to follow the duty of another, however well one may perform it. He who does his duty as his own nature reveals it, never sins.
Quote examples
Isaac Newton
English Mathematician
If the experiments which I urge be defective, it cannot be difficult to show the defects; but if valid, then by proving the theory, they must render all objections invalid.
Quote examples
W. Edwards Deming
American Scientist
No one knows the cost of a defective product - don't tell me you do. You know the cost of replacing it, but not the cost of a dissatisfied customer.
Quote examples
Blake Farenthold
American Politician
Why should guns be treated different than toasters? If your defective product injures somebody, you're responsible for it.
Quote examples
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Roman Statesman
The study and knowledge of the universe would somehow be lame and defective were no practical results to follow.
Quote examples
Morley Safer
Canadian Journalist
What does it say about us that people who are considered defective are instinctively caring and compassionate?
Quote examples
P. D. James
English Novelist
Human kindness is like a defective tap, the first gush may be impressive but the stream soon dries up.
Example 1 of 10
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