inefficiency

as in inability
the lack of ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy The candidate blamed her opponent for the local government's inefficiency.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of inefficiency In 1935, the court unanimously upheld Congress' requirement that presidents can fire members of independent boards or commissions only for cause, such as inefficiency, malfeasance or neglect of duty. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 21 Mar. 2025 From its inception to the present day, the mortality data system has been plagued by inconsistencies, inefficiencies and tensions between medical professionals, state governments and the federal government. Dylan Thomas Doyle, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2025 Eligibility and caregiver choices would be unchanged but a single intermediary would manage payroll and benefits, replacing middlemen who inject tons of inefficiency and unnecessary spending, including untold amounts of fraud and abuse, into the system. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025 Approximately 79 million American households could qualify for these payments, with the initiative encouraging the public to report inefficiencies to boost savings further. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficiency
Noun
  • And, his inability to admit his mistakes and face the consequences.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
  • The inability to take feedback and self-correct is a trait that leads to stalled careers, unproductive teams, and ultimately, costly turnover.
    Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Nothing will alter The Electric State’s disorienting, tone-deaf incompetence.
    Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
  • When a government, or for that matter a corner grocery store, fires one employee for incompetence, that is good management.
    Phil Terrana, Baltimore Sun, 20 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • When pressed on such timelines during a Senate hearing in December 2024, FDA Commissioner Robert Califf reiterated the issue isn’t a matter of corruption or incompetency, but federal support.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Jan. 2025
  • It's been a revolving door of incompetency under center for the Browns this year.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inefficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficiency. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.

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