inadequacy

[ in-ad-i-kwuh-see ]

noun

, plural in·ad·e·qua·cies

1. Also in·ad·e·quate·ness [] the state or condition of being inadequate; insufficiency.
2. something inadequate; defect:

   The plan has many inadequacies.

Word History and Origins

Origin of inadequacy¹

First recorded in 1780–90; inadequ(ate) + -acy

Example Sentences

Adults relate to its inadequacy, its marginal existence as a misfit.

From Science News

The pandemic has spotlighted the inadequacies of the current system.

From Time

At least twice during the Obama administration, the Labor Department proposed reforms to Congress to address some of these inadequacies, primarily by boosting information sharing among states and federal agencies.

From ProPublica

When asked what one can do to let go of past hurts, Brammer answers with a tale of his middle-school years, of bullying, inadequacies, and teen angst, and of coming out, growing up, and not letting someone be defined by the worst of the past.

From Washington Blade

An impossible burden of our digitally intertwined lives is the omnipresent specter of inadequacy, or of seeing someone else’s life and wondering why ours can’t be that cool.

From Outside Online

In short, we found ways to couch messages of failure or inadequacy.

From The Daily Beast

Ours is the Caiman model, a 6x6 behemoth that weighs in at over 15 tons and makes Humvees shrivel up with feelings of inadequacy.

From The Daily Beast

What are not rare are feelings of inadequacy and even suicidal despair.

From The Daily Beast

The inadequacy of equipment and technology offered a comfortable answer.

From The Daily Beast

On the one side, there is envy, shame, inadequacy, longing, deprivation, and a sense of being left out.

From The Daily Beast

The prevailing fault of the modern Swell organ is, perhaps, the inadequacy of the Flute work.

From Project Gutenberg

These are the times that illustrate to a man the inadequacy of spoken language.

From Project Gutenberg

The cause for the inadequacy of the force left under his command, of which he often complains, is not apparent.

From Project Gutenberg

She broke off from sheer passionate inadequacy to express herself.

From Project Gutenberg

Examples of this inadequacy may be given from the printed extract.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• dearth
• deficiency
• failing
• flaw
• imperfection
• incapacity
• ineffectiveness
• inefficiency
• ineptitude
• insufficiency
• paucity
• shortcoming
• weakness