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shortfall

American  
[shawrt-fawl] / ˈʃɔrtˌfɔl /

noun

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

  2. the act or fact of falling short.

shortfall British  
/ ˈʃɔːtˌfɔːl /

noun

  1. failure to meet a goal or a requirement

  2. the amount of such a failure; deficiency

    a shortfall of £30m
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shortfall

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

Explanation

If there's not enough of something, there's a shortfall. You expected to have plenty of Halloween candy, but a shortfall of Skittles has you running to the store to buy more. When an available quantity doesn't meet your needs, or there's a deficiency of something you want, you've got a shortfall. You might dump out your piggybank and discover a shortfall of cash, or start making a soufflé but find an egg shortfall when you open the fridge. This word comes from the idea of a supply that falls short of expectations.

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Vocabulary lists containing shortfall

Shortage

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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.

Appeared in the April 7, 2026, print edition as 'The Farm Labor Shortfall Bites'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

They will be entitled to a fixed sum of £75,000 through the Horizon Shortfall Scheme, the government said.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2024

The Horizon Shortfall Scheme is open to anyone affected by the Horizon scandal to make a claim for compensation, even if they no longer have accurate records.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2024

The first-stage booster for the flight is making its 12 launch and SpaceX is aiming for a recovery landing on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 28, 2023

And the booster made its fifth landing as well, coming down for a pinpoint touchdown 9.5 minutes after liftoff on theSpaceXdroneship A Shortfall of Gravitas, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

From Scientific American • Apr. 8, 2022

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.