fault

 
Pronunciation: /fɔːlt, fɒlt/

noun

  • 1an unattractive or unsatisfactory feature, especially in a piece of work or in a person’s character: my worst fault is impatience
  • a break or other defect in an electric circuit or piece of machinery: a fire caused by an electrical fault
  • a misguided action or habit: the fault of the keen therapist is to start to intervene during the assessment phase
  • (in tennis and similar games) a service of the ball not in accordance with the rules.
  • (usually faults) (in showjumping) a penalty point imposed for an error.
  • 2 [mass noun] responsibility for an accident or misfortune: if books were not selling, it wasn’t the fault of the publishers it was his fault she had died
  • 3 Geology an extended break in a rock formation, marked by the relative displacement and discontinuity of strata on either side of a particular plane: a landscape broken by numerous faults [as modifier]: the fault plane dips northwards

verb

  • 1 [with object, usually with negative] criticize for inadequacy or mistakes: her superiors could not fault her dedication to the job you cannot fault him for the professionalism of his approach
  • [no object] archaic do wrong: the people of Caesarea faulted greatly when they called King Herod a god
  • 2 (be faulted) Geology (of a rock formation) be broken by a fault or faults: the continental crust has been thinned and faulted as a result of geological processes (as noun faulting) a complex pattern of faulting

Phrases

at fault

  • 1responsible for an undesirable situation; in the wrong: we recover compensation from the person at fault
  • 2defective: he suspected that his calculator was at fault

find fault

make an adverse criticism or objection, sometimes unfairly: he finds fault with everything I do

—— to a fault

displaying the specified commendable quality to an almost excessive extent: you’re kind and generous to a fault

Origin:

Middle English faut(e) 'lack, failing', from Old French, based on Latin fallere 'deceive'. The -l- was added (in French and English) in the 15th century to conform with the Latin word, but did not become standard in English until the 17th century, remaining silent in pronunciation until well into the 18th