Synonyms

inadequacy

American

[in-ad-i-kwuh-see] / ɪnˈæd ɪ kwə si /

noun

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

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.

Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff decried the inadequacy of medical care, low staffing and reports of moldy food and foul drinking water.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 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

He sensed there was something abnormal about his sensitivity to criticism, the inadequacy of his emotional reaction to others, and his ever-present discontent about jobs and social status.

From Slate • Jul. 23, 2025

"The only reason that people proceed too quickly is when there is something to cover up or there is an inadequacy."

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

We lived once again in married student housing, a plywood apartment complex set among pine trees, and the singular topic of conversation among our young neighbors was the inadequacy of these rattletrap tenements.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023