Malfunction
/ˌmælˈfʌŋk.ʃən/noun
A failure to work properly.
Did you know?The first element, mal-, comes from Latin malus, meaning “bad” or “evil,” a root that also haunts words like malice and malevolent.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
malus
“bad, evil”
Late Latin
Latin
functionem
“performance, execution of office or duty”
French
Old French
malfonction
“bad performance; defective operation”
18th-19th Century
English
malfunction
“failure to function properly”
Modern English
English
malfunction
“a failure to work or operate correctly”
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