fault

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA ^(key): /fɔːlt/ or /fɒlt/, SAMPA: /fO:lt/
• (US) IPA ^(key): /fɔːlt/ or /fɑːlt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Noun

Singular fault

Plural faults

1. (uncountable) If something is your fault, you did something wrong or didn't do something right.

   It doesn't matter whose fault it is, let's work together to make it right.

   I'm sorry. It's my fault. I forgot to turn it off.

   It's clear that both sides are at fault.

2. (countable) A fault is a problem or a mistake.

   We found a few faults in the plan, but we'll fix them later.

3. (countable) A fault in your character is something about you that is not nice or good.

   The other girls thought that her only fault was that she was really stupid.

4. (countable) A fault is a long crack in the earth.

   The earthquake occurred near the San Andreas fault.

5. (countable) (sports) In sports like tennis or volleyball, a fault is hitting the ball in the wrong way, or to or from the wrong place.

Synonyms

• mistake
• error
• blame

Related words

• faulty
• faultless

Verb

Plain form fault

Third-person singular faults

Past tense faulted

Past participle faulted

Present participle faulting

1. (transitive) If you fault somebody for something bad, you say they did something wrong or didn't do something right.

   You can't fault him for not knowing about the change.

Related words

• unfaulted