underfunded

British  

/ ˌʌndəˈfʌndɪd /

adjective

1. having or provided with insufficient funding

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Explanation

Anything that's underfunded doesn't have enough money. An underfunded college student can't afford textbooks — or pizza. When a group or organization is funded, it's provided with the money, or funds it needs to function properly. Being underfunded means having an insufficient amount of cash on hand. An underfunded school doesn't have enough money to pay its staff and teachers, and it might have to eliminate art and music classes. If your lemonade stand is underfunded and you can't afford cups, it's unlikely to be a successful business!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

underfunded

The GSF replaced the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission, which was seen as under-equipped and underfunded.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

Not only is the building within a flood zone, but many residents weren’t paying their HOA fees, leaving the HOA underfunded and potentially unable to pay for structural repairs if there was an emergency.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026

Chief Facilities Executive Krisztina Tokes could offer no such assurance, advising the board that state earthquake mitigation funds are underfunded and oversubscribed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

For decades, the city shirked on contributions to pension funds for police officers, firefighters and city employees, leaving them severely underfunded.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

During much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, private detective agencies had filled the vacuum left by decentralized, underfunded, incompetent, and corrupt sheriff and police departments.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann