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Word

flawed

adjective C1
UK /flɔːd/
US /floːd/

Meanings

adjective

Having a fault or weakness; not perfect and possibly unreliable or unfair.

flawed: Having a fault or weakness; not perfect and possibly unreliable or unfair.
adjective

(Of an argument, plan, or reasoning) containing an error that makes the conclusion doubtful.

flawed: (Of an argument, plan, or reasoning) containing an error that makes the conclusion doubtful.

Definition

Having a fault or weakness that makes something less effective or less acceptable.

If something is flawed, it has a problem that reduces its quality, accuracy, or fairness. The flaw might be in an object, a plan, an argument, or a system. People often use this word when something looks good overall but contains an important weakness.

Examples

  • The committee rejected the proposal because its timeline was flawed and ignored key dependencies.
  • I realized my initial interpretation was flawed after I compared it with the raw data.
  • She delivered a convincing presentation, but the underlying assumption was flawed.
  • They launched the product quickly, yet the flawed design led to frequent breakdowns in testing.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse "flawed" (having a fault) with "flawless" (having no faults).