deficient

[ dih-fish-uh nt ]
/ dɪˈfɪʃ ənt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR deficient ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

lacking some element or characteristic; defective: deficient in taste.
insufficient; inadequate: deficient knowledge.

noun

a person who is deficient, especially one who is mentally defective.

Origin of deficient

1575–85; < Latin dēficient- (stem of dēficiēns, present participle of dēficere to fail, run short, lack, weaken), equivalent to dē- de- + fic-, combining form of facere to make, do1 + thematic -i- + -ent- -ent

OTHER WORDS FROM deficient

Words nearby deficient

deficiency, deficiency account, deficiency disease, deficiency judgment, deficiency symptom, deficient, deficient number, deficit, deficit financing, deficit spending, defier

Words related to deficient

unsatisfactory, defective, lacking, weak, scarce, inferior, impaired, insufficient, faulty, incomplete, skimpy, flawed, amiss, bad, damaged, exiguous, infrequent, injured, meager, rare

Example sentences from the Web for deficient

British Dictionary definitions for deficient

deficient
/ (dɪˈfɪʃənt) /

adjective

lacking some essential; incomplete; defective
inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient

Derived forms of deficient

deficiently, adverb

Word Origin for deficient

C16: from Latin dēficiēns lacking, from dēficere to fall short; see defect

Medical definitions for deficient

deficient
[ dĭ-fĭsh′ənt ]

adj.

Lacking an essential quality or element.
Inadequate in amount or degree; insufficient.