failure (failures plural )
1 n-uncount Failure is a lack of success in doing or achieving something, especially in relation to a particular activity., (Antonym: success)
This policy is doomed to failure..., Three attempts on the British 200-metre record also ended in failure., ...feelings of failure.
2 n-count If something is afailure, it is not a success., (Antonym: success)
The marriage was a failure and they both wanted to be free of it..., His six-year transition programme has by no means been a complete failure.
3 n-count If you say that someone is afailure, you mean that they have not succeeded in a particular activity, or that they are unsuccessful at everything they do., (Antonym: success)
Elgar received many honors and much acclaim and yet he often considered himself a failure...
4 n-uncount Your failureto do a particular thing is the fact that you do not do it, even though you were expected to do it.
N to-inf, oft poss N
...their failure to get the product mix right.
5 n-var If there is a failure of something, for example a machine or part of the body, it goes wrong and stops working or developing properly.
with supp, oft n N
There were also several accidents mainly caused by engine failures on take-off..., He was being treated for kidney failure...
6 n-var If there is a failure of a business or bank, it is no longer able to continue operating. (BUSINESS) with supp
(=collapse) Business failures rose 16% last month.
heart failure
Heart failure is a serious medical condition in which someone's heart does not work as well as it should, sometimes stopping completely so that they die. n-uncount
power failure (power failures plural )A power failure is a period of time when the electricity supply to a particular building or area is interrupted, for example because of damage to the cables. n-var
(=outage)
