Failures or breakdowns in the normal operation of a machine, device, or system.
From the prefix 'mal-' (from Latin meaning 'bad') combined with 'function' (from Latin 'functio,' meaning 'performance'). It literally means 'to perform badly.'
The term 'malfunction' is doing real work when a spacecraft breaks down in space—it's the most neutral way to describe catastrophic failure without admitting anyone did anything wrong. That's why companies use words like malfunction and 'unexpected technical issue' instead of 'we broke it.'
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