fault
fault Lexical Profile
fault Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Responsibility for an accident, mistake, or misfortune.
"The investigation concluded that the collision was entirely the fault of the distracted driver."
An unattractive or unsatisfactory feature, flaw, or imperfection, especially in a piece of work or in a person's character.
"Despite all his minor faults, he remained a loyal and generous friend throughout his life."
A planar fracture or discontinuity in a volume of rock across which there has been significant displacement as a result of tectonic earth movement.
"Geologists monitored seismic activity along the major fault running beneath the coastal valley."
A service in tennis or a similar racket sport that infringes the rules, such as failing to land the ball within the designated service box.
"Her first serve clipped the top of the net and landed wide, resulting in a fault."
• verb
To criticize for inadequacy or a mistake (usually used in negative or conditional constructions).
"You cannot fault her dedication to the research project, even if the initial experiments failed."
To break or become fractured by a geological fault (of rock layers or strata).
"Over millions of years, tectonic pressure caused the ancient limestone beds to fold and fault."
• Rhymes for fault
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in Middle English from Old French faute ('lack, failing, error'), from Vulgar Latin *fallita, derived from Latin fallere ('to deceive, fail'). The silent 'l' was inserted in the 16th century to reflect its Latin etymology, and eventually came to be pronounced in standard English.