as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
there is a deficiency of fresh food in the diet of many of the working poor
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Recent Examples of deficiency
Most organizations try to fix deficiencies or incrementally raise satisfaction levels.
—
Marcus Buckingham, Harvard Business Review, 26 Mar. 2026
The Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday a gene therapy for severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD-1), an ultra-rare disease that leaves children vulnerable to life-threatening infections.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
That makes this holistic treatment a good fit for someone with hair loss driven in part by nutritional deficiencies.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Villa’s visible deficiencies are what made Nuno’s decision to shift from a wing-back system after Jean-Clair Todibo‘s injury in the warm-up so curious.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Marcus Buckingham, Harvard Business Review, 26 Mar. 2026
The Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday a gene therapy for severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency type 1 (LAD-1), an ultra-rare disease that leaves children vulnerable to life-threatening infections.
—Jason Mast, STAT, 26 Mar. 2026
That makes this holistic treatment a good fit for someone with hair loss driven in part by nutritional deficiencies.
—Rebecca Strong, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Villa’s visible deficiencies are what made Nuno’s decision to shift from a wing-back system after Jean-Clair Todibo‘s injury in the warm-up so curious.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficiency
Noun
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The lack of pay has contributed to high call-out rates at airports across the country, including at Philadelphia International Airport, where staffing shortages have led to longer security lines.—
Eva Andersen,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The war has threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertilizer shortages and disrupted air travel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As recently as 2022, research group IDinsight found unintended pregnancy was, after a lack of money for school fees, the leading cause of girls not returning to education.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Apr. 2026
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In Miami-Dade, the lack of oversight has been acute, the Herald found.—
Carol Marbin Miller,
Miami Herald,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficiency. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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