deficiency

[ dih-fish-uhn-see ]

noun

, plural de·fi·cien·cies.

1. the state of being deficient; lack; incompleteness; insufficiency.

   Synonyms: scarcity, paucity, inadequacy, shortage

2. the amount lacked; a deficit.

deficiency

/ dɪˈfɪʃənsɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being deficient
2. a lack or insufficiency; shortage
3. another word for deficit
4. biology the absence of a gene or a region of a chromosome normally present

Other Words From

• nonde·ficien·cy noun plural nondeficiencies
• prede·ficien·cy noun plural predeficiencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficiency¹

First recorded in 1625–35; from Late Latin dēficientia, Latin dēficient- (stem of dēficiēns ); deficient, -ency

Example Sentences

Bellinger was in the team’s opening-day lineup the next year, but struggled mightily through the 2021 and 2022 seasons, a period during which his agent, Scott Boras, said the former MVP winner was playing with “a 35% strength deficiency.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Micronutrient deficiency is widespread in the country and we are serious in our efforts in alleviating it,” said Ms Tan-Bantoto.

From BBC

“Ninety-seven percent of babies do not meet their daily nutrient requirement, 40% of babies, zero to five, suffer from iron deficiency anaemia. And we know that to be anaemic has lifelong consequences. For instance, brain development and next poor immunity and 20% of kids zero to five are stunted. That means we fortify our products.”

From BBC

It also means for a lot of overweight people there is a “hormonal deficiency, or at least it doesn’t go up as high”, argues Prof Yeo, which leaves them biologically more hungry and primed to put on weight than someone who is naturally thin.

From BBC

According to the report, Emanuel, whose law firm represented one of the companies involved in the original case, should have recused himself, and the failure to do so represented a “a serious and flagrant problem and/or deficiency” in the board's handling of conflict-of-interest issues.

From Salon

Related Words

• dearth
• defect
• failing
• failure
• fault
• flaw
• frailty
• glitch
• insufficiency
• lack
• scarcity
• shortage
• shortcoming
• weakness