inadequacy
Americannoun
-
inadequacies
plural
-
Also inadequateness the state or condition of being inadequate; insufficiency.
-
something inadequate; defect.
The plan has many inadequacies.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inadequacy
First recorded in 1780–90; inadequ(ate) + -acy
Explanation
An inadequacy is something that is not enough. If you get a bad grade, it may reveal an inadequacy in your approach to studying. The syllable qua in inadequacy rhymes with duh, and the accent is on the second syllable: "in-AD-uh-quh-see." You know that in- means "not," and the suffix y means "the quality or state of." But what is that middle part? Adaequare is the Latin word for "to make equal." So, inadequacy is the state of not being equal — or enough — for something.
Vocabulary lists containing inadequacy
Novel Study: Freedom Walkers
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Ellsworth Kelly (1923-2015) Tribute List
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 1
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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.
See Examples For:
Being put on a PIP by someone who used to be your equal probably stirs up feelings of inadequacy.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
They involve the slipperiness of truth and the crushing inadequacy of our mental-health system and social safety net.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Mr. O’Connor’s involving novel, which continues into the 1970s, is about the inadequacy of the psychoanalytic practice to confront the collective psychosis of 20th-century history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026
Secondly, the supermarket must pass the "inadequacy" test in which it has to show the number of existing licensed premises in an area is inadequate to meet the needs of the public.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Black newspapers and their readers wasted no time in making the link between America’s inadequacy in space and the dreadful conditions facing many black students in the South.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
“Marilyn’s reading formed a concerted effort to overcome any inadequacies she perceived in herself,” Crowther writes.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026
But in practice, it has often led to long environmental reports, studies and reviews, that are sometimes followed by lawsuits over possible inadequacies that can require a restart.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2025
“Most of the problems with core statistics result from inadequacies in the way ONS has made decisions, planned and budgeted, and managed risks,” the review concluded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2025
Some survivors say they heard no alarm, while there have been claims of inadequacies in the hotel's fire extinguishing systems.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2025
“I hope you’ve taken my inadequacies into account. I’m not as coldproof as you, nowhere near it. I’m no expert on skis. I’m not in good shape—though much improved from a few days ago.”
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
