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
Vaginal dryness stems from estrogen deficiency in urogenital tissues.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 4 June 2025
London isn’t exactly suffering from a deficiency of exciting places to eat and drink, but the city is still upping its game this summer with Dante Takes Claridge’s—where the beloved Manhattan bar collaborates with the British hotel’s restaurant.
—Air Mail, 31 May 2025
Really, much of Hart’s time at Triple-A El Paso was spent attacking his deficiencies against right-handed hitters, who were hitting .333/.386/.698 against him in the majors compared to a .100/.100/.100 line in 20 plate appearances against lefties.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Key Takeaways Hair shedding or thinning can begin a few months after surgery due to stress, nutrient deficiencies, or both.
—Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 4 June 2025
London isn’t exactly suffering from a deficiency of exciting places to eat and drink, but the city is still upping its game this summer with Dante Takes Claridge’s—where the beloved Manhattan bar collaborates with the British hotel’s restaurant.
—Air Mail, 31 May 2025
Really, much of Hart’s time at Triple-A El Paso was spent attacking his deficiencies against right-handed hitters, who were hitting .333/.386/.698 against him in the majors compared to a .100/.100/.100 line in 20 plate appearances against lefties.
—Jeff Sanders, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2025
Key Takeaways Hair shedding or thinning can begin a few months after surgery due to stress, nutrient deficiencies, or both.
—Ashley Olivine, Verywell Health, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deficiency
Noun
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Korn Ferry predicts a global shortage of up to 85 million tech workers by 2030.—
Kolawole Samuel Adebayo,
Forbes.com,
13 June 2025
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It is well established that Connecticut has long grappled with severe shortages in its affordable housing supply.—
Jamie Kennedy,
Hartford Courant,
13 June 2025
Noun
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images What To Know A chronic lack of inventory, partially due to the fact that homebuilders in the U.S. significantly underbuilt in the years following the 2008 crash, contributed to bringing U.S. home prices through the roof in recent years.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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In American literature, this is perhaps a relatively recent phenomenon too, one that could be attributed to a lack of global (and local) educational foundation.—
Aram Mrjoian
June 6,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficiency. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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