Meaning & use

flaw

noun·Academic

A fault, weakness, or imperfection that reduces the value, quality, or effectiveness of something.

See it in a sentence

Inspectors found a small flaw in the metal that could have caused the beam to fail.

Despite its one obvious flaw, the plan was approved by the entire committee.

A note on using this word

Flaw usually describes a specific, identifiable weakness, more precise than the general word problem.

Words with a similar meaning

defectimperfectionfault

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

strengthperfection

Make it your own

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