deficient

[ dih-fish-uhnt ]

adjective

1. lacking some element or characteristic; defective:

   deficient in taste.

2. insufficient; inadequate:

   deficient knowledge.

noun

1. a person who is deficient, especially one who is mentally defective.

deficient

/ dɪˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. lacking some essential; incomplete; defective
2. inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient

Derived Forms

• deˈficiently, adverb

Other Words From

• de·ficient·ly adverb
• nonde·ficient adjective
• nonde·ficient·ly adverb
• prede·ficient adjective
• prede·ficient·ly adverb
• unde·ficient adjective
• unde·ficient·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficient¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin dēficient-, stem of dēficiēns “failing,” present participle of dēficere “to fail, run short, lack, weaken,” from dē- de- + ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( do ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficient¹

C16: from Latin dēficiēns lacking, from dēficere to fall short; see defect

Example Sentences

It’s a problem compounded by the Marshals Service’s deficient coronavirus tracking and testing.

From Washington Post

Similarly, a peer-reviewed observational study in Italy looking back at a small group of patients who were hospitalized with acute respiratory failure due to covid-19 found that 81 percent were vitamin D deficient.

From Washington Post

However mistletoes get by with their deficient mitochondria, the big unanswered question is why these plants did away with something so seemingly useful.

From Quanta Magazine

Schwarber and Rosario could be viewed as deficient in the field.

From Washington Post

Given what’s already known, zinc could possibly decrease the duration of infection but not the severity of symptoms, she said, particularly among people who are deficient.

From Science News

Spring is starting to arrive, and we plan to soak up as much sun as our vitamin-D-deficient bodies can handle.

From The Daily Beast

The same goes for the elliptical machine hunger strike, which also comes off as tonally deficient, to say the least.

From The Daily Beast

Vitamin D3—Most of you reading this are probably vitamin D deficient if you wear clothes and work indoors.

From The Daily Beast

The U.S. got slaughtered: 57 percent of our kids were “totally deficient” compared to just 8.3 percent of the Europeans.

From The Daily Beast

One in nine is rated structurally deficient, meaning major repairs or replacement are needed—yesterday.

From The Daily Beast

(b) Diseases of the stomach associated with deficient hydrochloric acid, as chronic gastritis and gastric cancer.

From Project Gutenberg

Napoleon himself arrived at Wrzburg on October 2nd, and found his army concentrated, but deficient of supplies.

From Project Gutenberg

Remnants of food from previous meals indicate deficient gastric motility.

From Project Gutenberg

Excess of any of these structures may result from excessive ingestion or deficient intestinal digestion.

From Project Gutenberg

Putty-colored or "acholic" stools occur when bile is deficient, either from obstruction to outflow or from deficient secretion.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• defective
• faulty
• flawed
• impaired
• incomplete
• inferior
• insufficient
• lacking
• scarce
• skimpy
• unsatisfactory
• weak