From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita (“shortcoming”), feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Displaced native Middle English schuld, schuild (“fault”) (from Old English scyld (“fault”)), Middle English lac (“fault, lack”) (from Middle Dutch lak (“lack, fault”)), Middle English last (“fault, vice”) (from Old Norse lǫstr (“fault, vice, crime”)). Compare French faute (“fault, foul”), Portuguese falta (“lack, shortage”) and Spanish falta (“lack, absence”). More at fail, false.
Culpability; the responsibility for a blameworthy event.
Typically uncountable
No, don't blame yourself. It's my fault that we lost the game.
I told them the pie was still too hot. If they burn their tongues, that's their fault.
3 more examples
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
A police official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that a note found at the scene addressed to Ms. Spade's 13-year-old daughter indicated, among other things, that what had happened was not the child’s fault.2018 June 5, Jonah Engel Bromwich, Vanessa Friedman, Matthew Schneier, “Kate Spade, whose handbags carried women into adulthood, is dead at 55”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 06 Jun 2018:
How many more innocent people and kids gotta get killed by these police, man? / And then it's always the victim's fault2020, Body Count, “Point the Finger”:
› A defect, imperfection, or weakness; more…
2
A failing of character; less severe than a vice.
Despite all her faults, she’s a good person at heart.
3
A characteristic, positive or negative or both, which increases one's risk of danger or difficulty.
You're still young, that's your fault.
4
A strongly undesirable variation of food or drink caused by impurity or contamination.
Cork taint is one of the most recognizable wine faults.
The time of greatest prevalence of this microörganism, August and September, agreed in general with the occurrence of this cheese fault. Not a single Cheddar cheese was found which turned blue, and as the iron content of Cheddar cheese was low the author regards this as supporting his conclusion that iron is the cause of the fault.1891, T.J. Klaverweiden, “The cause of blue spots in cheese”, in Milch Zeitung, volume 23, number 35, pages 558-560; republished as Experiment station record, volume 25, United States Office of Experiment Stations, 1896, page 482:
1 more example
No common wine fault is likely to cause serious health problems but you won't want to take the tasting much further if the wine smells faulty.2003, Godfrey Spence, Wine tasting, page 5:
5
Obsolete A point of weakness in something's physical structure.
As patches set upon a little breach / Discredit more in hiding of the fault.c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
› A mistake or error.
6
A minor offense.
7
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports, Tennis An illegal serve.
It is a fault if the ball served drop in the net, or beyond the Service-Line, or if it drop out of Court, or in the wrong Court. A fault may not be taken. After a fault, the Server shall serve again from the same Court from which he served that fault.1879, Julian Marshall, Lawn-tennis: With the Laws Adopted by the M. C. C., and A. E. C. & L. T. C., and Badminton, page 8:
8
Equestrianism, Hobbies, Horses, Lifestyle, Pets, Sports A penalty point assessed in horseback events such as show jumping.
If the horse refuses an obstacle, the rider will receive four faults.
Geography, Geology, Natural sciences A fracture in a rock formation causing a discontinuity.
That might explain why the last three major earthquakes occurred not at San Andreas faults, where it would seem natural to expect them, but in both adjacent fault groups.2003, Alexandre A. Soloviev, Vladimir Isaakovich Kelis-Borok, Nonlinear Dynamics of the Lithosphere and Earthquake Prediction, page 32:
11
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Technology An abnormal connection within an electric circuit.
12
Hobbies, Hunting, Lifestyle A loss of the scent being tracked by a hound.
Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled, / With much ado, the cold fault clearly out.1593, [William Shakespeare], Venus and Adonis, London: […] Richard Field, […], →OCLC:
13
Business, Mining An intrusion of another material, such as dirt or slate, within a coal seam.
one, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friendc. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin *fallita (“shortcoming”), feminine of *fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Displaced native Middle English schuld, schuild (“fault”) (from Old English scyld (“fault”)), Middle English lac (“fault, lack”) (from Middle Dutch lak (“lack, fault”)), Middle English last (“fault, vice”) (from Old Norse lǫstr (“fault, vice, crime”)). Compare French faute (“fault, foul”), Portuguese falta (“lack, shortage”) and Spanish falta (“lack, absence”). More at fail, false.
1
To criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone.
For that, says he, I ne'er will fault thee / But for humbleness exalt thee.a. 1723, unknown author, The Devonshire Nymph:
"There will a team over there [he waves towards York's Rail Operating Centre] like flight engineers, maintaining it and faulting it from a ROC rather than a van by the side of the track."2024 May 29, Philip Haigh, “The digital revolution and the switch to in-cab signalling”, in RAIL, number 1010, page 29: