deficiency

B1 Topic:Health & Medicine
US /dɪˈfɪʃənsi/
noun Freq #21500

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    A lack of something needed, especially something essential to good health.

    A vitamin D deficiency can make your bones weak.

  2. 2
    noun

    A fault or weakness; the state of not being good enough.

    The report pointed out several deficiencies in the safety system.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a lack of something needed,... lackshortagewant
2 noun · a fault or weakness; the... inadequacy
Word family
Forms deficiencies
Derived forms bideficiencyhaplodeficiencyhematodeficiencyhyperdeficiencyimmunodeficiencyindeficiencyphosphodeficiencypseudodeficiency

Etymology

From deficient + -cy. Compare Latin dēficientia.

Topics

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