for (the) want of

idiom

: because of not having (something) : because (something) does not exist or is not available

For want of a better name, let's call it "Operation One."

People are dying for want of medical treatment.

The project failed for the want of adequate funding.

Examples of for (the) want of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

To be encountered here, then, is the characteristically beguiling interaction of images, objects, and ideas that epitomizes and defines the artist’s—for want of a much better word—practice. —

Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024 According to court documents, an additional domestic violence charge, a misdemeanor, was dismissed for want of prosecution. —

Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024 The game is a mix of humor and, for want of a better word, murder. —

Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2024 Not for the want of trying, and the efforts of Apple, Google and Microsoft, together with the Fido Alliance, to move people towards a passwordless future with the evolution of passkeys notwithstanding. —

Davey Winder, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for for (the) want of

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“For (the) want of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20%28the%29%20want%20of. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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