inadequacy

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/ UK /ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of being insufficient or not good enough for a purpose

The report exposed the inadequacy of the city's flood defences.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being... insufficiency deficiency shortcoming inability incompetence shortfall lack

Opposites

adequacy sufficiency competence

Word family

Related forms inadequate adequate adequacy

Etymology

From in- ('not') + adequacy, from adequate, from Latin adaequatus, past participle of adaequare ('to make equal to'), from ad- ('to') + aequare ('to make equal'), from aequus ('equal').

adaequare Latin aequus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# inadequacy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/

## Meanings
1. the state of being insufficient or not good enough for a purpose

## Examples
- The report exposed the inadequacy of the city's flood defences.

## Synonyms
- insufficiency
- deficiency
- shortcoming
- inability
- incompetence
- shortfall
- lack

## Antonyms
- adequacy
- sufficiency
- competence

## Related Forms
- inadequate
- adequate
- adequacy

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: adaequare
- Root: aequus

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + adequacy, from adequate, from Latin adaequatus, past participle of adaequare ('to make equal to'), from ad- ('to') + aequare ('to make equal'), from aequus ('equal').

## AI Etymology
Inadequacy comes from in- ('not') + adequacy, from adequate, from Latin adaequatus, past participle of adaequare ('to make equal to'), from ad- ('to') + aequare ('to make equal'), from aequus ('equal'). The prefix supplies the first semantic turn, while the base carries the lexical core of the word. As a noun, it denotes "the state of being insufficient or not good enough for a purpose", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin adaequare and Latin aequus. Related words include inadequate, adequate, adequacy.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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