dysfunction
Americannoun
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Medicine/Medical. malfunctioning, as of an organ or structure of the body.
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any malfunctioning part or element.
the dysfunctions of the country's economy.
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Sociology. a consequence of a social practice or behavior pattern that undermines the stability of a social system.
noun
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med any disturbance or abnormality in the function of an organ or part
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(esp of a family) failure to show the characteristics or fulfil the purposes accepted as normal or beneficial
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of dysfunction
Explanation
If there's dysfunction, then things aren't working right. High blood pressure is a medical dysfunction, and fighting amongst teammates is a kind of social dysfunction. If you know that function means to work, then you shouldn't be surprised that dysfunction means something isn't working. Blind people have an optical dysfunction. A family that yells all the time and never listens has a communication dysfunction. If your car breaks down, it has some kind of mechanical dysfunction. But if everything is going smoothly? You're dysfunction-free.
Vocabulary lists containing dysfunction
Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Roots: dys
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This Week In Words: Current Events Vocab for October 24–30, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He added he was "sick and tired" of Betsi being "a byword for dysfunction and declining standards".
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
There were signs of liver dysfunction and worrisome cholesterol findings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026
In Europe and Asia, hantaviruses are more commonly associated with hemorrhagic fever and kidney dysfunction.
From Science Daily • Jun. 22, 2026
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said the Community and Economic Development Department has been plagued by dysfunction for more than a decade and must be thoroughly reviewed by an outside management consultant.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
The dysfunction was so rampant, we regularly had to have meetings to address the issues that plagued our team.
From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
