failure

noun

fail·​ure ˈfāl-yər How to pronounce failure (audio)
1
a
: omission of occurrence or performance
specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action
failure to pay the rent on time
b(1)
: a state of inability to perform a normal function
kidney failure
compare heart failure
(2)
: an abrupt cessation of normal functioning
a power failure
c
: a fracturing or giving way under stress
structural failure
2
a
: lack of success
b
: a failing in business : bankruptcy
He was trying to rescue the company from failure.
3
a
: a falling short : deficiency
a crop failure
4
: one that has failed
He felt like a failure when he wasn't accepted into law school.

Examples of failure in a Sentence

He became discouraged by his repeated failures in business. He was often crippled by his fear of failure. The accident was caused by engine failure. The patient was suffering from heart failure. The accident was caused by a failure to use proper procedures. She was criticized for failure to follow directions. The drought caused crop failure. He felt like a failure when he wasn't accepted into law school. The scheme was a complete failure.
Recent Examples on the Web California’s approach to high-speed rail suffers from a similar failure to connect. Joe Mathews, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 These technical issues come just one day after McDonald’s was hit by a system failure that closed restaurants and disrupted online and app orders around the world, including in the United States, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Eva Rothenberg, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 And the Israeli leader has been widely blamed at home since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 for security failures. Mikhail Klimentov, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 Swathes of west and central Africa have been hit by internet outages due to multiple subsea cable failures, the Guardian reports, while TechCentral also reports that the outages have spread as far as South Africa. Kylie Robison, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 His lawyers have pointed to the failure of the weapon during testing to support Baldwin’s recollection of his role in the tragic shooting. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Plaintiffs, family members of the three people Mensah killed, also alleged in the suit that each shooting was caused by the Wauwatosa Police Department’s failure to train and supervise its officers properly and its practice of condoning and ratifying the use of excessive force. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 All together, these approaches make World Wide Whack perversely fun, a disorienting merry-go-round of despair and uplift, rather than a linear path to victory or failure. Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Last April, Starship made it off the launchpad, but a cascade of engine failures and fires in the booster led to the rocket’s destruction 24 miles above the Gulf of Mexico. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'failure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier failer, from Anglo-French, from Old French faillir to fail

First Known Use

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of failure was in 1643

Dictionary Entries Near failure

Cite this Entry

“Failure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/failure. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

failure

noun
fail·​ure ˈfā(ə)l-yər How to pronounce failure (audio)
1
a
: a failing to do or perform
failure to pass the test
b
: neglect of an assigned or expected action
failure to pay on time
c
: inability to perform a normal function well enough
heart failure
2
a
: a lack of success
failure in the campaign
b
: bankruptcy
a business failure
3
a
: a falling short : deficiency
crop failure
b
: a breaking down
a failure of memory
4
: one that has failed
the scheme was a complete failure

Medical Definition

failure

noun
fail·​ure ˈfā(ə)l-yər How to pronounce failure (audio)
: a state of inability to perform a vital function
acute renal failure
respiratory failure
see heart failure

Legal Definition

failure

noun
fail·​ure
1
: omission of occurrence or performance
specifically : a failing to perform a duty or expected action
a failure to mitigate damages
failure to prosecute
2
: a lack of success or adequacy
failure of a suit
3
: a failing in business

More from Merriam-Webster on failure

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