failure

[feyl-yer] /ˈfeɪl yər/
noun
1.
an act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success:
His effort ended in failure. The campaign was a failure.
2.
nonperformance of something due, required, or expected:
a failure to do what one has promised; a failure to appear.
3.
a subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency:
the failure of crops.
4.
deterioration or decay, especially of vigor, strength, etc.:
The failure of her health made retirement necessary.
5.
a condition of being bankrupt by reason of insolvency.
6.
a becoming insolvent or bankrupt:
the failure of a bank.
7.
a person or thing that proves unsuccessful:
He is a failure in his career. The cake is a failure.
Origin
1635-45; fail + -ure; replacing failer a (de)fault < Anglo-French (noun use of infinitive), for Old French faillir
Related forms
nonfailure, noun
Examples from the web for failure
  • It has been observed that as much, if not more, can be learned from failure as from success.
  • Predictions need a long string of success and failure to evaluate, which at this point does not exist.
  • According to the old saying, you learn more from a failure than a success.
  • But in truth the failure was not a lack of foresight.
  • The paths leading to career success or failure, too, can lie a hair's breadth apart.
  • They are too risk averse to venture out into growth areas that have as many opportunities for failure as success.
  • Such knowledge can make the difference between success and failure for an aspiring inventor.
  • Brill believes that teachers are the primary reason for students' failure or success.
  • Its history has been one more of failure than success.
  • Many different medications are used in the treatment of heart failure.
British Dictionary definitions for failure

failure

/ˈfeɪljə/
noun
1.
the act or an instance of failing
2.
a person or thing that is unsuccessful or disappointing: the evening was a failure
3.
nonperformance of something required or expected: failure to attend will be punished
4.
cessation of normal operation; breakdown: a power failure
5.
an insufficiency or shortage: a crop failure
6.
a decline or loss, as in health or strength
7.
the fact of not reaching the required standard in an examination, test, course, etc
8.
the act or process of becoming bankrupt or the state of being bankrupt
Word Origin and History for failure
n.

1640s, failer, from Anglo-French failer, from Old French falir (see fail (v.)). The verb in Anglo-French used as a noun; ending altered 17c. to conform with words in -ure.

failure in Medicine

failure fail·ure (fāl'yər)
n.
The inability to function or perform satisfactorily.

failure in Technology


The inability of a system or system component to perform a required function within specified limits. A failure may be produced when a fault is encountered.
(1996-05-13)