faultier; faultiest
Synonyms of faulty
: marked by fault or defect : imperfect

Examples of faulty in a Sentence

the cause of the plane crash was traced to faulty wiring
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the ship was rusted and its engine and generators faulty, Khan said. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 But sadly for the multi trillion dollar company, some of the larger, inner screens on its $2,000-plus devices are already cracking, and early postmortems point to their faulty hinge design. — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 28 Oct. 2026 A certain number of faulty devices are to be expected with major product launches. — Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 26 Oct. 2026 Oftentimes, faulty wash settings are to blame for this brittleness. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for faulty

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of faulty was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Faulty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faulty. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

faultier; faultiest
: having a fault or weakness : imperfect
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster