deficient

[ dih-fish-uhnt ]

adjective

1. lacking some element or characteristic; defective:

   deficient in taste.

2. insufficient; inadequate:

   deficient knowledge.

noun

1. a person who is deficient, especially one who is mentally defective.

deficient

/ dɪˈfɪʃənt /

adjective

1. lacking some essential; incomplete; defective
2. inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient

Derived Forms

• deˈficiently, adverb

Other Words From

• de·ficient·ly adverb
• nonde·ficient adjective
• nonde·ficient·ly adverb
• prede·ficient adjective
• prede·ficient·ly adverb
• unde·ficient adjective
• unde·ficient·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficient¹

First recorded in 1575–85; from Latin dēficient-, stem of dēficiēns “failing,” present participle of dēficere “to fail, run short, lack, weaken,” from dē- de- + ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( do ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of deficient¹

C16: from Latin dēficiēns lacking, from dēficere to fall short; see defect

Example Sentences

His attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris often descend to insults about her identity — that she’s not Black or too Black or in some way not sufficiently American — but mostly they lump her in with the myths so often told about African Americans, essentially that they’re deficient in some way and thus not equal to white citizens.

From Salon

Trump would never agree with people he says are destroying America, want to destroy the First Amendment, are communists, murder babies and are mentally deficient.

From Salon

Priorities: I would speak to the tenured professors and administrators to see what is deficient and what can be better.

From Los Angeles Times

Candice Youngblood, an attorney with the nonprofit environmental law group Earthjustice, which represented the plaintiffs, called the county’s environmental report “deficient.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Right now we’re deficient in both our near-term and long-term needs,” he said, but added that his group had a very encouraging meeting with DWP officials this week.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• defective
• faulty
• flawed
• impaired
• incomplete
• inferior
• insufficient
• lacking
• scarce
• skimpy
• unsatisfactory
• weak