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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 deficiency
Because whatever deficiencies this squad might have, it’s backed by a massive, raucous army.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
Trading Vincent Trocheck to Utah opens a hole at center, but the addition of winger Pavel Dorofeyev makes up for a talent deficiency up front enough to say the Rangers got better.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Black women are at higher risk for both fibroids and vitamin D deficiency, making proactive health care and screenings especially important.
—
Sukhman Rekhi,
Verywell Health,
1 July 2026
Oftentimes, league bottom feeders are bottom feeders for a reason … ineffective coaching, talent deficiency, front office mismanagement, etc.
—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
2 July 2026
Trading Vincent Trocheck to Utah opens a hole at center, but the addition of winger Pavel Dorofeyev makes up for a talent deficiency up front enough to say the Rangers got better.
—
ABC News,
2 July 2026
Black women are at higher risk for both fibroids and vitamin D deficiency, making proactive health care and screenings especially important.
—
Sukhman Rekhi,
Verywell Health,
1 July 2026
Oftentimes, league bottom feeders are bottom feeders for a reason … ineffective coaching, talent deficiency, front office mismanagement, etc.
—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
29 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficiency
Noun
-
The divergence is over whether the worker shortage is improving slowly or still getting worse, and what the Supreme Court should do about it.
-
Lights had been switched off to conserve electricity amid fuel shortages that have gripped Cuba since the beginning of the year.
Noun
-
Keli Gonzalez, a painter the museum commissioned, became frustrated by the lack of female representation.
-
The lack of a World Cup title is the one gap on his historic résumé.
Cite this Entry
“Deficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficiency. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
