deficiency
n. C / Un. a lack of something that your body or a system needs to work correctly. It can also mean a weakness or a part of something that is not good enough.
n. a lack or shortage of a required substance or quality; a failing or shortcoming in a system or person. Often used in medical or technical contexts to describe insufficient levels of nutrients.
A vitamin deficiency can make you feel very tired.
The doctor ordered blood tests to check if a mineral deficiency was causing her frequent headaches.
The audit highlighted a significant deficiency in the company's internal security protocols, suggesting that current measures were insufficient to prevent data breaches.
From deficient + -cy. Compare Latin dēficientia.
Uncountable when referring to the general state of lacking something; countable when referring to specific types or instances of failure.
a deficiency about irona deficiency of ironThe noun typically takes the preposition 'of' to indicate what is lacking.