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faille

fault

noun FAH-yuh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Also means

crack

Usage Note

Faille is used both geologically (a geological fault line) and figuratively to mean a flaw or weakness in a plan, argument, or system. The phrase trouver une faille dans ('to find a loophole/flaw in') is common in legal and journalistic French. Note it is also the third-person singular subjunctive of falloir (il faille que…), which is a completely unrelated form.

Examples

"Il y a une faille dans ce raisonnement."

Natural Translation

There is a flaw in this reasoning.

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