deficiency

Obsolete, deficience

[dih-fish-uhn-see]

noun

plural

deficiencies 

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 Word Forms

• nondeficiency noun
• predeficiency noun

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

Some research has shown that unlike regular folic acid, folinic acid can more easily cross the blood brain barrier and address a deficiency of the vitamin.

From BBC

"She was in a critical condition, she was showing signs of hypoxia or oxygen deficiency. She had been bitten by insects and also some animal," Dr Kumar said.

From BBC

But, in July, a panel of senior high court judges ruled that the "investigations carried out by MI5 to date suffer from serious procedural deficiencies" and that "we cannot rely on their conclusions".

From BBC

Barcelona will be close, but I'm not sure they will sort out their defensive deficiencies.

From BBC

Over a year after losing her money, Anjali and others petitioned India's top consumer court in January, which admitted their complaint of "deficiency of services" by banks.

From BBC

Related Words

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