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Prepositions after adjectives

Flawed in, flawed from, or flawed by?

Flawed is commonly followed by in for an area of weakness and by for a cause or source of damage. Flawed from is generally not idiomatic in this meaning.

Quick answer

Which preposition goes with flawed?

Use flawed in to describe the area or aspect that has problems: flawed in design. Use flawed by to mention what causes the problem: flawed by bias. Flawed from is usually not used to express defects or weaknesses.

The argument was flawed in several places.
The investigation was flawed by political pressure.
The plan is flawed in concept and execution.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
flawed in + area

Describing the aspect that has problems

Use flawed in before the part, quality, or area that is weak or defective.

The report was flawed in its assumptions.
The system is flawed in design.
2
flawed by + cause

Naming the thing that caused the flaw

Use flawed by when an outside factor creates or affects the problem.

The trial was flawed by procedural errors.
Their judgement was flawed by prejudice.
3
deeply flawed

Using adverbs with flawed

Adverbs often intensify the adjective flawed without adding a preposition.

The proposal is deeply flawed.
Many experts called the method seriously flawed.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
flawed in
The model is flawed in several important ways.
Correct for describing the area or aspect that is defective.
flawed by
The process was flawed by poor communication.
Correct for naming the factor that caused the flaw.
flawed from
The design was flawed from the beginning.
From here refers to a starting point in time, not a standard adjective-preposition pattern. It does not mean the same as flawed in or flawed by.
flawed with
The document is flawed with inconsistencies.
Sometimes seen, but less natural than flawed by or simply full of inconsistencies.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using flawed from for a defect

From usually introduces a starting point, not the source of a flaw.

✕ The theory is flawed from bad data. ✓ The theory is flawed by bad data.

Confusing area and cause

Use in for the weak area and by for the cause.

✕ The proposal was flawed by logic. ✓ The proposal was flawed in logic.

Adding an unnecessary preposition

Flawed can stand alone when the context already shows the problem.

✕ The system is flawed in. ✓ The system is flawed.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The research was flawed ___ its methodology.
2. The negotiations were flawed ___ personal conflicts.
3. Which sentence is most idiomatic?

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Frequently asked questions

Can I say flawed in design?

Yes. Flawed in design is a common and natural way to describe a weakness in the design itself.

Is flawed from correct English?

Usually no for this meaning. English normally uses flawed in or flawed by. From may appear separately in time expressions such as flawed from the start.

What is the difference between flawed by and flawed with?

Flawed by focuses on the cause of the problem. Flawed with is less common and often sounds less natural.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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