1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
dealt with the school's insufficiency of art supplies by buying materials out of her own pocket
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
her alleged insufficiency for the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of insufficiency
Chronic venous insufficiency occurs when the valves in your leg veins don't work properly.
—
Scott Sundick, Health, 24 July 2025
Ultrasound exams of the leg veins can help confirm chronic venous insufficiency.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 July 2025
In addition to advanced age, other risk factors for chronic venous insufficiency include a family history of varicose veins, tobacco use and obesity.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 July 2025
President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a disease of the vessels that carry blood back to the heart from elsewhere in the body.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for insufficiency
Scott Sundick, Health, 24 July 2025
Ultrasound exams of the leg veins can help confirm chronic venous insufficiency.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 18 July 2025
In addition to advanced age, other risk factors for chronic venous insufficiency include a family history of varicose veins, tobacco use and obesity.
—Joey Garrison, USA Today, 18 July 2025
President Donald Trump has been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a disease of the vessels that carry blood back to the heart from elsewhere in the body.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 17 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for insufficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insufficiency
Noun
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The idea for Draft One came from staffing shortages that Axon’s police department clients were facing, Isner said.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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Companies are experimenting with deep-sea tech to produce cheaper fresh water From Cape Town to Tehran to Lima to Phoenix, dozens of cities across the globe have experienced water shortages recently.—
Vanessa Bates Ramirez,
Scientific American,
11 Aug. 2025
Noun
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This challenge is exemplified in Huawei’s inability to move beyond the 7-nanometer technology, according to Bloomberg.—
Owen Tedford,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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Part of the scene’s inability to keep the conveyor belt of stars rolling is that the infrastructure that built old Atlanta isn’t as strong, with gentrification and heavy policing uprooting the city’s cultural landscape.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Another driver of instability is the lack of details about the trade agreements that have so far been reached.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
17 Aug. 2025
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Feeding those intrusive thoughts was a lack of precedent.—
Hunter Ingram,
Variety,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
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If not carefully planned, ADF may increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies.—
Lindsey DeSoto,
Health,
11 Aug. 2025
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Wernicke-Korsakoff disease: This disease is caused by chronic alcohol use and thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.—
Heidi Moawad,
Verywell Health,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insufficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insufficiency. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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