deficient
Americanadjective
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lacking some element or characteristic; defective.
deficient in taste.
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insufficient; inadequate.
deficient knowledge.
noun
adjective
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lacking some essential; incomplete; defective
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inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient
Other Word Forms
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” ( see also do 1)
Explanation
Deficient means not enough or not adequate. Maybe you were deficient in caffeine that day. Maybe you were lacking in study time. But no doubt about it: you came up with a deficient number of correct answers on the physics test. If your new car fund remains deficient, you don't have enough money to buy a new car. This presents a problem if your current car is deficient in some way — say, it no longer has enough engine power to drive up a hill. You may not feel you have what it takes to get a job, but the reality is you will have to choose between indulging your own deficiencies in this area or the car's.
Vocabulary lists containing deficient
Tuesdays with Morrie
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50 Words from Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice"
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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.
Scores range from 0-19 points for Nature Deficient to 80-100 for Nature Utopia.
From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2024
Deficient: Adaptation alone is not enough to ensure our survival—or as MIT professor John Sterman argues, “adaptation without mitigation is futile.”
From Slate • Feb. 27, 2020
Deficient compliance with existing law, or code provisions that do not reflect current storm threats, can seriously hinder rebuilding efforts after disasters strike.
From US News • May 31, 2016
Deficient in data In this awkward era of trying to cut medical costs while improving care, researchers are often faced with a paucity of data on which to base their calculations.
From Scientific American • Jul. 12, 2011
Deficient in timber, but has an abundance of rich, undulating prairie, beautiful groves, abundant water privileges, and extensive coal banks.
From A New Guide for Emigrants to the West by Peck, John Mason
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.
