dysfunction.

A failure or disturbance in the proper functioning of a system or relationship.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• institutional dysfunction
• organizational dysfunction

On the page

The delays exposed a wider pattern of institutional dysfunction.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Countable or uncountable by context; countable singular dysfunction; plural dysfunctions. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.