Failed to work properly or stopped working as it should; broke down or didn't perform its intended function.
From 'mal-' (Latin prefix meaning 'bad' or 'wrong') plus 'function' (from Latin 'functio,' meaning 'performing or execution of duties'). This is a relatively modern technical term, becoming common in the 20th century with machinery and electronics.
The prefix 'mal-' is everywhere once you notice it: malfunction, malware, malcontent, malpractice. It's one of English's most useful building blocks because we're obsessed with what goes *wrong*. Scientists notice we have way more words for failure than success—'dysfunction' vs. just 'function.'
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