Defective

/dɪˈfɛktɪv/ · adjective

Meaning

Having one or more defects..

Definitions by Sense

1. Having one or more defects.
2. (grammar, of a lexeme, especially a verb) Lacking some forms; e.g., having only one tense or being usable only in the third person.
3. (Arabic grammar, of a verb) Having a root whose final consonant is weak (ي, و, or ء).
4. (orthography, of a script) Not capable of representing all the phonemic distinctions of a language it is used to write.
5. (chiefly of abjad script) Spelled without matres lectionis, for example אמץ (ómets, “courage”) as opposed to the plene spelling אומץ where the letter vav ⟨ו⟩ indicates the vowel o.
6. (chiefly of abjad script) Without matres lectionis (letters indicating vowels) written out.
7. A person or thing considered to be defective.
8. (chiefly of abjad script) A word written without matres lectionis (letters indicating vowels).

Example Sentences

It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.

For the sake of comparison, note the distribution of these spellings in some other Hebrew sources: in the MT the vowel o after the first consonant of the root is written defective in approximately 3,600 cases as against 850 cases of plene spelling.

It is an offence, subject to the exception mentioned in this section, for a person to procure a woman who is a defective to have unlawful sexual intercourse in any part of the world.

There were many more kinds of mental institutions at mid-century, ones for "mental defectives and epileptics" and the mentally retarded, psychiatric wards in veterans hospitals, as well as "psychopathic" and private mental hospitals.

Thus, in the Pentateuch and in the earlier prophets the plenes are counted, whilst in the later prophets the defectives are enumerated.

Synonyms for defective

Antonyms for defective

Related Words

Word Forms

• more defective
• most defective
• defectives

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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