shortfall

[shawrt-fawl]

noun

1. the quantity or extent by which something falls short; deficiency; shortage.

2. the act or fact of falling short.

shortfall

/ ˈʃɔːtˌfɔːl /

noun

1. failure to meet a goal or a requirement

2. the amount of such a failure; deficiency

   a shortfall of £30m

Word History and Origins

Origin of shortfall¹

1890–95; short + fall; from verb phrase fall short

Example Sentences

There is a growing network of municipal officials across the U.S. who talk regularly to compare notes, troubleshoot funding shortfalls and strategize on ways to respond to events in Washington given their limited individual capacity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

She says she saves so she can cover the shortfall when they reach three years old.

Read more on BBC

"For this reason, £5m has been allocated through the Elective Care Framework to address this capacity shortfall."

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The museum consistently operated at a loss, the notes say, with some operating shortfalls covered by the 2019 reclassification.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The draft also raises the possibility of assessing national climate pledges annually, instead of every five years, to assess more frequently shortfalls in global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• deficiency 
• flaw 
• lack 
• loss 
• shortage 
• shortcoming