understrength

American

[uhn-der-strengkth, -strength, -strenth] / ˌʌn dərˈstrɛŋkθ, -ˈstrɛŋθ, -ˈstrɛnθ /

adjective

having insufficient organizational strength; lacking in personnel.

an understrength army.
insufficient in power or efficacy.

Etymology

Origin of understrength

First recorded in 1920–25; under- + strength

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.

The dominant performance against an understrength Palace followed Saturday’s narrow victory at Burnley and will give United fans hope the team has turned its form around.

From Washington Times • Sep. 26, 2023

Besides design understrength, investigators reported signs of corrosion, misplaced reinforcement and the placement of heavier and additional plant containers on the deck than those in the original plans.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 15, 2023

He returned earlier than planned after his surgery to captain an England understrength England side after a Covid-19 outbreak, but played through pain in his finger.

From BBC • Oct. 7, 2021

Afghan forces, meanwhile, are chronically understrength because of heavy casualties and high levels of desertion, and continue to face problems with organization and logistics that have long hampered their effectiveness.

From Reuters • Sep. 2, 2018

An understrength Manchester City fell to their first defeat of the season in Ukraine on Wednesday night but they had already won their group so their loss to Shakhtar mattered little.

From The Guardian • Dec. 7, 2017

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