adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɒlti/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːlti/
US:/ˈfɔlti/
cot-caught-merger:/ˈfɑlti/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Canada:[ˈfɒːlti]
Scotland:/ˈfɔlte/
rhymes with -ɒlti
rhymes with -ɔːlti
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 L T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
They replaced the faulty wiring and it has worked fine ever since.
I don't think you can infer that from the premise. It's a faulty argument.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
At fault, to blame; guilty.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
characterized by errors; not agreeing with a model or not following established rules; the wrong side of the road"
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
he submitted a faulty report
an incorrect transcription
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: incorrect, wrong
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective satellite
Meaning 4
having a defect
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
I returned the appliance because it was defective
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: defective
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From fault + -y.
Across languages
Translations
37 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
погрешен
(pogrešen)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Bulgarian:
неправилен
(nepravilen)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Catalan:
defectuós
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Czech:
vadný
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Dutch:
kapot
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Dutch:
gebrekkig
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Finnish:
viallinen
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Finnish:
rikkinäinen
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
French:
défectueux
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
German:
fehlerhaft
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
German:
schadhaft
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Hungarian:
hibás
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Irish:
fabhtach
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Italian:
difettoso
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Italian:
imperfetto
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Italian:
scorretto
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Latin:
mendōsus
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Latin:
vitīosus
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Māori:
muhu
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Russian:
неиспра́вный
(neisprávnyj)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Russian:
ло́жный
(lóžnyj)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Sikkimese:
སྐྱོན་ཅན
(skyon can)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Spanish:
fallido
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Spanish:
fallado
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Swedish:
defekt
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Swedish:
felaktig
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
hatalı
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
kusurlu
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
eksik
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
çürük
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
özürlü
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Turkish:
sakat
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Ottoman Turkish:
اكسیك
(eksik)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Ottoman Turkish:
چوروك
(çürük)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Ukrainian:
несправний
(nespravnyj)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Ukrainian:
помилковий
(pomylkovyj)
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
Welsh:
diffygiol
— having or displaying faults; not perfect; not adequate or acceptable
