deficiency

[ dih-fish-uhn-see ]

noun

, plural de·fi·cien·cies.

1. the state of being deficient; lack; incompleteness; insufficiency.

   Synonyms: scarcity, paucity, inadequacy, shortage

2. the amount lacked; a deficit.

deficiency

/ dɪˈfɪʃənsɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being deficient
2. a lack or insufficiency; shortage
3. See deficit
   another word for deficit
4. biology the absence of a gene or a region of a chromosome normally present

Other Words From

• nonde·ficien·cy noun plural nondeficiencies
• prede·ficien·cy noun plural predeficiencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficiency¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēficientia, Latin dēficient- (stem of dēficiēns ); deficient, -ency

Example Sentences

The digital deficiencies threatened Winford’s ability to fully tend to her patients’ emotional and physical well-being, she said, creating additional headaches during a public-health crisis.

From Washington Post

To address the council’s deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership.

From Washington Blade

The researchers also found clean eating to be associated with nutritional deficiencies, since restrictive behavior can go undetected and unchecked for so long.

From Outside Online

One is about the difference between correcting a deficiency and boosting performance.

From Outside Online

On a related note, the global pandemic has exposed deficiencies in health systems everywhere and has highlighted the importance of advancing with more patient-centric solutions.

From Fortune

At 11, back in his home town of Rosario, Argentina, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency.

From The Daily Beast

Dominant models of depression tend to treat the condition as a defect or deficiency.

From The Daily Beast

He had no sign of a spreading infection, a tumor, or auto-immune deficiency.

From The Daily Beast

The underlying statute that keeps government from fully operating during a shutdown is an 1870 law, the Anti-Deficiency Act.

From The Daily Beast

GRID, gay-related immune deficiency, became AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

From The Daily Beast

In fact, some memories are much oftener weak from deficiency in reviving power than from feebleness of first impressions.

From Project Gutenberg

Deficiency of rennin has the same significance as deficiency of pepsin, and is more easily recognized.

From Project Gutenberg

Lastly the pawner is liable for any deficiency after the sale of the thing pawned, unless released by statute.

From Project Gutenberg

If the losses exceed the premiums thus paid in advance, then an assessment is made on each member to cover the deficiency.

From Project Gutenberg

A second is the deficiency in educational influences, which have had so much to do with human progress.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dearth
• defect
• failing
• failure
• fault
• flaw
• frailty
• glitch
• insufficiency
• lack
• scarcity
• shortage
• shortcoming
• weakness