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Added 9 October 2026

failure

/ˈfeɪ.ljə/ noun

In Latin: dēliquium, dēfectiō Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about failure at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An act that fails.
his failure to pass the test
An event that does not accomplish its intended purpose.
the surprise party was a complete failure
Lack of success.
he felt that his entire life had been a failure

Origin

From Anglo-Norman failer, from Old French faillir (“to fail”). Equivalent to fail + -ure.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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