deficiency
Americannoun
plural
deficiencies-
the state of being deficient; lack; incompleteness; insufficiency.
- Synonyms:
- scarcity, paucity, inadequacy, shortage
-
the amount lacked; a deficit.
noun
-
the state or quality of being deficient
-
a lack or insufficiency; shortage
-
another word for deficit
-
biology the absence of a gene or a region of a chromosome normally present
Other Word Forms
- nondeficiency noun
- predeficiency noun
Etymology
Origin of deficiency
First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēficientia, Latin dēficient- (stem of dēficiēns ); deficient, -ency
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.
She added: "In understanding and acknowledging the deficiencies of the past, lessons can be learned for the future."
From BBC
“The USA Rare Earth arrangement does lack the price floors, profitability guarantees, and offtake agreements inherent in the MP deal, a structural deficiency, in our view,” wrote Canaccord analyst George Gianarikas on Monday.
From Barron's
Stem cells are special cells that can change into other blood cells to be used to treat many different cancers, as well as immune deficiencies and genetic disorders, according to the NHS.
From BBC
It made no difference for a team with too many deficiencies.
From Los Angeles Times
A spokesperson for the Army Corps said “all deficiencies logged by” federal inspectors were “addressed and corrected.”
From Los Angeles Times
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.
