/ fɔːlt; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
RESPONSIBILITY
1.
[ U ] fault (that ... ) | fault (for doing sth) the responsibility for sth wrong that has happened or been done :
It was his fault that we were late.
Why should I say sorry when it's not my fault ?
It's nobody's fault.
It's your own fault for being careless.
Many people live in poverty through no fault of their own .
I think the owners are at fault (= responsible) for not warning us.
IN SB'S CHARACTER
2.
[ C ] a bad or weak aspect of sb's character
SYN shortcoming :
He's proud of his children and blind to their faults.
I love her for all her faults (= in spite of them) .
STH WRONG
3.
[ C ] something that is wrong or not perfect with sth; something that is wrong with a machine or system that stops it from working correctly
SYN defect :
The book's virtues far outweigh its faults.
The system, for all its faults , is the best available at the moment.
a major fault in the design
a structural fault
an electrical fault
IN TENNIS
4.
[ C ] a mistake made when serving :
He has served a number of double faults in this set.
GEOLOGY
5.
[ C ] a place where there is a break that is longer than usual in the layers of rock in the earth's crust :
the San Andreas fault
a fault line
•
IDIOMS
- to a fault
—more at find verb
■ verb
[ vn ] (often used in negative sentences with can and could ) to find a mistake or a weakness in sb/sth
SYN criticize :
Her colleagues could not fault her dedication to the job.
He had always been polite—she couldn't fault him on that.
••
WORD ORIGIN
Middle English faut(e) lack, failing , from Old French , based on Latin fallere deceive. The -l- was added (in French and English ) in the 15th cent. to conform with the Latin word, but did not become standard in English until the 17th cent., remaining silent in pronunciation until well into the 18th.