Added 9 October 2026
deficiency
/dɪˈfɪʃənsi/ noun
In Latin: dēficientia Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about deficiency at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable.
there is a serious lack of insight into the problem
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Lack of an adequate quantity or number.
the inadequacy of unemployment benefits
Origin
From deficient + -cy. Compare Latin dēficientia.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)