deficient
deficient Lexical Profile
deficient Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not having enough of a specified quality, nutrient, or ingredient; lacking something essential.
"A diet deficient in vitamin D can lead to weakened bones and chronic fatigue."
Insufficient or inadequate in amount, quality, or degree; falling short of a required standard.
"The audit revealed that the company's internal security protocols were seriously deficient."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'deficient' with 'defective': 'deficient' indicates an incomplete amount or a lack of a necessary quality (e.g., a diet deficient in iron), whereas 'defective' means having a structural flaw or malfunction (e.g., a defective brake).
• Rhymes for deficient
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Latin deficientem, the present participle of deficere ('to fail, run out, or desert'), formed from de- ('away from') and facere ('to make or do').