defective
UK[dɪˈfektɪv]US[dɪˈfektɪv]
adj
Having a defect or flaw; imperfect or faulty.
adj
(Grammar, of a word) Lacking some of the usual forms of inflection.
Morpheme Breakdown
de
fect
ive
de
down, away, off
fect
make, do
ive
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'defective' originates from the Late Latin term defectivus, which itself is derived from the Latin verb deficere, meaning "to fail, desert, or run short." This verb is a compound of the prefix de- ("away, off") and the verb facere ("to make, do"). The literal sense is thus "to make away from" or "to fail in making," implying a falling short of proper completion. Over time, this notion of failure or lack was generalized. In English, it came to describe anything that has a flaw or imperfection—something that has "failed" to be made correctly or completely. The grammatical sense, describing a word lacking a full set of forms, follows the same logic of incompleteness.
Analysis
Structure: de (down, away, off) + fect (make, do) + ive (adjective suffix)
- de: A Latin prefix meaning "down, away, off, completely." It often indicates reversal or removal.
- fect: A form of the Latin root facere (to make, to do), assimilated in spelling before certain consonants. Its core sense is "to make."
- ive: A suffix of Latin origin (-ivus) used to form adjectives meaning "tending to," "having the nature of," or "performing the action of."
Examples
The product was recalled because a defective component could cause it to overheat.
In English, the modal verb "must" is defective as it has no infinitive or past participle form.
His argument was based on defective logic and was easily disproven.