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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Recent Examples of inefficiency
An energy audit can identify how much energy the home uses, inefficiencies and where problems exist.
—
Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 21 Jan. 2026
With that in mind, Balenciaga framed the technique as a scalable solution and next-gen alternative to conventional tailoring—one aimed at eliminating waste and inefficiency before the first sample is even made.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
In the meantime, in-memory computing addresses this inefficiency by performing calculations directly within the memory array, thus significantly reducing internal data traffic.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Obamacare is rife with inefficiencies and fraud, and the additional subsidies add hundreds of billions in red ink to a federal government already bleeding massive deficits.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 21 Jan. 2026
With that in mind, Balenciaga framed the technique as a scalable solution and next-gen alternative to conventional tailoring—one aimed at eliminating waste and inefficiency before the first sample is even made.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 21 Jan. 2026
In the meantime, in-memory computing addresses this inefficiency by performing calculations directly within the memory array, thus significantly reducing internal data traffic.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 21 Jan. 2026
Obamacare is rife with inefficiencies and fraud, and the additional subsidies add hundreds of billions in red ink to a federal government already bleeding massive deficits.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficiency
Noun
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For me, her inability to have an orgasm has very little to do with her relationship with John.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
29 Jan. 2026
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Emissions from the turbines led to community uproar, with residents complaining of a stench, health problems and an inability to keep their windows open at home.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their faltering attempt at a total crackdown—which can’t muzzle the anger and bravery of ordinary people—and its general odor of malicious incompetence, is even seeping into the White House’s hermetic media echo chamber.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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After a 10-year investigation and five malpractice claims, the Iowa Board of Medicine has issued a warning to a Des Moines surgeon accused of incompetence and unprofessional and unethical conduct.—
Clark Kauffman,
Des Moines Register,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The District Attorney’s Office said a finding of incompetency does not dismiss the case or result in a defendant’s release, and that proceedings will resume if Mock is later deemed competent.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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Maybe that data suggests incompetency in the sporting director role.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Goff pointed to ineffectiveness on first down in the second half, forcing the offensive line into situations where Los Angeles could turn to its powerful pass rush.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2025
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Mike Vrabel has blamed his squad’s ground ineffectiveness on his RB stable being too ball-security focused.—
Brad Evans,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficiency. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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