deficiency
- 01 C1 Advanced
a lack of something your body needs to stay healthy, like a vitamin.
an insufficiency of a substance, such as a vitamin or mineral, that is essential for healthy physiological functioning.
Simple“A vitamin C deficiency can make you feel very tired and weak.”
In context“The patient presented with symptoms consistent with a severe iron deficiency, likely exacerbated by a restrictive diet and high physical activity.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'of'.
Synonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a weakness or a way in which something is not good enough.
a failure to reach a required standard or a specific flaw in a system, plan, or character.
Simple“The report pointed out a serious deficiency in the school's safety rules.”
In context“The audit identified several structural deficiencies in the company's internal accounting procedures that required immediate rectification.”
UsageCommonly used in formal reports and academic evaluations.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a specific measurement of how much a mathematical shape or system is missing.
a technical measure of the amount by which a geometric or linear system falls short of a maximum or complete state.
Simple“The professor explained how to calculate the deficiency of the curve.”
In context“In algebraic geometry, the deficiency of a curve relates to the number of double points compared to the maximum possible for its degree.”
“Responding to the incident on Tuesday, President Emmerson Mnangagwa described the event as “tragic” and said it exposed serious deficiencies that needed to be addressed immediately.”
“Responding to the incident last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa described it as “tragic” and said it exposed serious deficiencies that needed to be addressed immediately.”
From deficient + -cy. Compare Latin dēficientia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.