deficient

American  

[dih-fish-uhnt] / dɪˈfɪʃ ənt /

adjective

1. lacking some element or characteristic; defective.

   deficient in taste.

2. insufficient; inadequate.

   deficient knowledge.

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noun

1. a person who is deficient, especially one who is mentally defective.

deficient British  

/ dɪˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. lacking some essential; incomplete; defective

2. inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient

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Other Word Forms

• deficiently adverb
• nondeficient adjective
• nondeficiently adverb
• predeficient adjective
• predeficiently adverb
• undeficient adjective
• undeficiently adverb

Etymology

Origin of deficient

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin dēficient-, stem of dēficiēns “failing,” present participle of dēficere “to fail, run short, lack, weaken,” from dē- de- + ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( do ¹ )

Example Sentences

Deere leverages AI to help farmers cut costs—by reducing labor required to operate equipment, minimizing wasted crop chemicals, and applying fertilizer more precisely where soil nutrients are deficient.

From Barron's

"If it turns out the shipowners were deficient, they will expect the full force of the law," Lopez told reporters.

From Barron's

After MI5 apologised, we then showed that inquiries into what happened by MI5 and the government were deficient and unreliable, with further falsehoods provided to the court.

From BBC

“It is a very deficient law,” said Francisco Monaldi, a Venezuelan who directs the Latin America energy program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.

From The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, older people think I’m somehow financially deficient because I rent.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• defective
• faulty
• flawed
• impaired
• incomplete
• inferior
• insufficient
• lacking
• scarce
• skimpy
• unsatisfactory
• weak