noun
deficiency
dih-FISH-uhn-see/dɪˈfɪʃnsi/
A lack or shortage of something needed or expected.
A deficiency of soil leaves the seedling's roots exposed and its growth weak.
Etymology
The Latin verb built from these pieces, deficere, meant to fail or desert. Deficiency makes that idea of failing or falling short into a noun for a lack of something needed.
In context
If you have a calcium deficiency, what you're going to see is the growing tips, those edges are going to start to decay and collapse
More examples
- Yellow leaves can signal a nitrogen deficiency in the soil.
- The inspection reveals several deficiencies in the building's safety equipment.
- A deficiency in funding prevents the program from expanding.
Forms
deficiency · deficiencies
deficient adjective — Lacking something needed or required.
Similar words
- shortage
- Emphasizes an available supply too small to meet demand.
- lack
- Can describe complete absence, not just an insufficient amount.
- inadequacy
- Emphasizes failure to meet a required standard or purpose.