failure

From Anglo-Norman failer, from Old French faillir (“to fail”).

• (Canada, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈfeɪlˌjɚ/

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failure (countable and uncountable, plural failures)

1. State or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, opposite of success.
   • 2012 May 5, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport:

     For Liverpool, their season will now be regarded as a relative disappointment after failure to add the FA Cup to the Carling Cup and not mounting a challenge to reach the Champions League places.

   • 2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the Guardian:

     Sarkozy's total will be seen as a personal failure. It is the first time an outgoing president has failed to win a first-round vote in the past 50 years and makes it harder for Sarkozy to regain momentum.

2. An object, person or endeavour in a state of failure or incapable of success.
3. Termination of the ability of an item to perform its required function; breakdown. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
   • 2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21:

     Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […].  Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.

4. Bankruptcy.

• (person incapable of success): loser

• (state or condition): success, triumph

• fail