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insufficiency

American  
[in-suh-fish-uhn-see] / ˌɪn səˈfɪʃ ən si /
Also insufficience

noun

insufficiencies plural
  1. deficiency in amount, force, power, competence, or fitness; inadequacy.

    insufficiency of supplies.

  2. an instance of this.

  3. inability of an organ or other part of the body to function normally.

    cardiac insufficiency.


insufficiency British  
/ ˌɪnsəˈfɪʃənsɪ /

noun

  1. Also called: insufficience.  the state of being insufficient

  2. pathol failure in the functioning of an organ, tissue, etc

    cardiac insufficiency

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of insufficiency

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word insufficientia. See insufficient, -ency

Vocabulary lists containing insufficiency

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is the only organisation in the UK dedicated to providing information and support to young women diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Insufficiency, also known as premature menopause.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2024

Our first imperfect notion of things as isolated from each other, or connected only by co-existence and succession, is a mere Insufficiency of the individual. imagination of things.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 4 "Carnegie Andrew" to "Casus Belli" by Various

Insufficiency of a valve allows the return of the blood through the valve during the dilation of a chamber, thus increasing the amount of blood entering the chamber beyond the normal.

From Mother's Remedies Over One Thousand Tried and Tested Remedies from Mothers of the United States and Canada by Ritter, Thomas Jefferson

Insufficiency of food, which is one of its many consequences, by impairing his nutrition and thus diminishing his vital resistance, renders the individual more susceptible to the action of the specific cause.

From A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I Volume 1: Pathology and General Diseases by Various

Insufficiency of sight in the eye looking outward has deprived them of the eye that should look inward.

From Complete Short Works of George Meredith by Meredith, George

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