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Defective vs Execrable - What's the difference?

defective | execrable | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between defective and execrable

is that defective is having one or more defects while execrable is of the poorest quality.

As a noun defective

is a person considered to be defective.

defective

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Having one or more defects.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-03
  • , author= , title=The Smallest Cell , volume=101, issue=2, page=83 , magazine= citation , passage=It is likely that the long evolutionary trajectory of Mycoplasma went from a reductive autotroph to oxidative heterotroph to a cell-wall–defective degenerate parasite. This evolutionary trajectory assumes the simplicity to complexity route of biogenesis, a point of view that is not universally accepted.}}
  • lacking some forms; e.g., having only one tense or being usable only in the third person.
  • Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "defective" is often applied: merchandise, goods, part, component, product, equipment, gene, unit, construction, design, drug, memory, wiring, machine, device, instrument, hardware, software, vehicle.

    Synonyms

    * faulty

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A person considered to be defective.
  • * {{quote-news, year=2007, date=January 15, author=Bernard E. Harcourt, title=The Mentally Ill, Behind Bars, work=New York Times citation
  • , passage=There were many more kinds of mental institutions at mid-century, ones for “mental defectives and epileptics” and the mentally retarded, psychiatric wards in veterans hospitals, as well as “psychopathic” and private mental hospitals. }}

    See also

    *

    execrable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Of the poorest quality.
  • Hateful.
  • * 1779 , Jefferson, letter to Patrick Henry written on March 27
  • But is an enemy so execrable , that, though in captivity, his wishes and comforts are to be disregarded and even crossed? I think not. It is for the benefit of mankind to mitigate the horrors of war as much as possible.
  • * {{quote-book
  • , date = 2001-06-01 , title = Guts: A Comedy of Manners , first = David , last = Langford , authorlink = David Langford , coauthors = Grant, John , publisher = Wildside Press , isbn = 9781587154485 , page = 72 , pageurl = http://books.google.com/books?id=XloXRhUhamIC&pg=PA72&dq=execrable , passage = The arcanely evil words of that despicable, loathsome, suppressed, vile, pululating, odious, nictating, repellent, repugnant, noxious, abhorrent, abominable, tory, execrable , nauseous work, Ye Boke of Guts , moved as if on a conveyor belt before his eyes. }}

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "execrable" is often applied: taste, road, crime, murder, thing.

    Synonyms

    * abhorrent * abominable * atrocious * deplorable * despicable * detestable * disgusting * foul * heinous * horrific * loathsome * low * monstrous * repulsive * revolting * sickening * vile * wretched