Engineering English
Defect
Industrial Engineering · Quality, Testing & Inspection · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A deviation of a product or service from a specified requirement or customer expectation. In six sigma, defects are counted to calculate DPMO and process yield.
Example in context
“We found 12 defects in the last shipment of 500 units, which corresponds to a defect rate of 2.4%.”
“Son sevkiyattaki 500 birimde 12 kusur bulduk, bu da %2,4 kusur oranına karşılık geliyor.”
Where engineers use it
Defect is central to defect per unit and DPMO metrics. Engineers classify defects during inspection and use them to calculate process sigma level. It drives root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Synonyms: nonconformity, nonconformance
Antonyms: conformance
In Quality, Testing & Inspection
A fault in a product that prevents it from fulfilling its intended use or stated requirement. Depending on severity it may render the item unusable, unsafe or merely cosmetically unacceptable.
“A shrinkage cavity inside the casting was classified as a critical defect because it lay directly in the highest stressed section.”
Practice: can you use “Defect” at work?
After a production run of 2000 units, inspection reveals 30 nonconformities. Classify each as a defect and determine the defect rate to report in the weekly quality review.
Show a model answer
“The number of defects per million opportunities tells us the sigma level of this process.”
“Defect” in 21 languages
| English | Defect |
|---|---|
| Turkish | kusur |
| French | défaut |
| German | Fehler |
| Spanish | defecto |
| Chinese | 缺陷 |
| Arabic | عيب |
| Portuguese | defeito |
| Russian | дефект |
| Japanese | 欠陥 |
| Italian | difetto |
| Vietnamese | khuyết tật |
| Hindi | दोष |
| Thai | ข้อบกพร่อง |
| Indonesian | cacat |
| Korean | 결함 |
| Bengali | ত্রুটি |
| Dutch | defect |
| Swedish | defekt |
| Finnish | vika |
| Ukrainian | дефект |
Frequently asked questions
What does Defect mean in engineering?
A deviation of a product or service from a specified requirement or customer expectation. In six sigma, defects are counted to calculate DPMO and process yield. In Industrial Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Defect?
Defect is pronounced /ˈdiːfɛkt/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Defect used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “We found 12 defects in the last shipment of 500 units, which corresponds to a defect rate of 2.4%.”
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