inadequacy
Americannoun
plural
inadequacies-
Also inadequateness the state or condition of being inadequate; insufficiency.
-
something inadequate; defect.
The plan has many inadequacies.
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.
Unsurprisingly, the Bazar incurred huge losses—due to “overstaffing, failure of management, inadequacy of working capital, and a lack of competitive approach on the part of the management,” a government report concluded.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 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
He said they talked to wives separated from husbands and their kids and the most frequent feedback they got “was the inadequacy of the medical care they were receiving.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026
The nine-page text addresses the main flashpoints in Belem: trade measures, demands for greater finance for poorer nations, and the inadequacy of national carbon-cutting pledges.
From Barron's • Nov. 18, 2025
When I called around to various economists in the summer of 2000 and complained about the inadequacy of the wages available to entry-level workers, this was their first response: “But wages are going up!”
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
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.
