shortfall
Americannoun
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shortfalls
plural
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the quantity or extent by which something falls short; deficiency; shortage.
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the act or fact of falling short.
noun
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failure to meet a goal or a requirement
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the amount of such a failure; deficiency
a shortfall of £30m
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of shortfall
Explanation
If there's not enough of something, there's a shortfall. You expected to have plenty of Halloween candy, but a shortfall of Skittles has you running to the store to buy more. When an available quantity doesn't meet your needs, or there's a deficiency of something you want, you've got a shortfall. You might dump out your piggybank and discover a shortfall of cash, or start making a soufflé but find an egg shortfall when you open the fridge. This word comes from the idea of a supply that falls short of expectations.
Vocabulary lists containing shortfall
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.
See Examples For:
Right now, there’s little appetite for many of the plans that policymakers and others have proposed to fix the shortfall.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The shortfall in power is usually covered by solar and wind during the hot, windy daytimes - but traditional coal- and gas-powered generation will have to be supplemented by imports during the evenings.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
After that, the city’s general fund, which pays for basic services, would cover any remaining shortfall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
On Sunday -- before the latest closures -- France recorded a shortfall of 15.6 percent in nuclear power production, according to AFP calculations based on EDF data published since 2015.
From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026
After twenty-four hours of tireless work, Anthony went to the university trustees and presented $8,000 in pledges to make up the shortfall.
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
On top of monthly dues, some communities might also require homeowners to pay special assessments to cover sudden repairs for the building or funding shortfalls.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
In past crises—even in the Middle East—Gulf oil supplies and spare capacity helped offset shortfalls from countries like Iraq, Kuwait and even Iran.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Last month, a Los Angeles County civil grand jury report found L.A.’s budget shortfalls and dwindling zoo membership would make it difficult to maintain the zoological park in the long term.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
In the labyrinthine alleyways of Cairo's Garbage City, recycling specialist Peter Romany finds himself fielding calls from factories scrambling for plastic to plug supply shortfalls caused by the Iran war.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
The unemployment caused home foreclosures, leading to shortfalls in property tax receipts, and therefore holes in the school budget.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
