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Definitions

dysfunctional

[dis-fuhngk-shuh-nl] / dɪsˈfʌŋk ʃə nl /


Example Sentences

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In aging animals, most neutrophils that never encounter a pathogen quickly enter senescence, a dysfunctional state in which they can release harmful chemicals that damage nearby cells and promote inflammation.

From Science Daily Sep. 3, 2026

They haven’t won a single postseason game since 2009, earning the reputation as perhaps baseball’s most dysfunctional organization.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 1, 2026

Running a pharmaceutical company under our dysfunctional system is a high-wire act that requires balancing the high-risk, high-cost business of drug discovery against the dubious math of drug pricing.

From MarketWatch Aug. 13, 2026

“It’s opening up this conversation about the fragility and how dysfunctional this healthcare system is and how hard it is for these doctors and healthcare workers to navigate their way through it,” Hatosy adds.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 5, 2026

What could be dysfunctional about a mother so spiteful that she intentionally undercooks her husband’s chicken, and a father so narcissistic he gets a face-lift at forty?

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman




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