Word
deficit
US/ˈdɛfəsət/
UK/dˈɛfɪsˌɪt/
Definitions
01financial shortfall
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Academic
n. the amount of money by which a government's or company's spending is higher than its income.
n. the amount by which a sum of money falls short of the required amount; specifically, the excess of liabilities over assets or expenditures over income.
日本語:赤字※
“The government is trying to reduce the national deficit by cutting spending.”
“Economists warned that a persistent trade deficit could weaken the national currency and lead to higher interest rates in the long term.”
Usage
Often used with 'budget', 'trade', or 'national'.
02a lack or deficiency
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Medicine Technical · Academic
n. a lack of a particular quality, skill, or ability.
n. a deficiency in amount, quality, or degree; frequently used in medical or psychological contexts to describe impaired function.
日本語:不足※
“The child was diagnosed with an attention deficit that made it hard to focus in class.”
“The patient showed a significant cognitive deficit following the injury, particularly in tasks requiring short-term memory and spatial reasoning.”
Usage
Commonly appears in the phrase 'attention deficit' or 'oxygen deficit'.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “deficit” in context.
Verb
01. bridge the deficit
“The university is looking for private donors to help bridge the budget deficit.”
verb + noun
02. plug a deficit
“The council had to sell off assets to plug a deficit in their pension fund.”
verb + noun
03. run a deficit
“The government has been running a massive deficit for the third consecutive year.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. ballooning deficit
“Economists are worried about the ballooning deficit and its impact on inflation.”
adj + noun
05. chronic deficit
“The country's chronic deficit in skilled labor is hindering economic growth.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. attention deficit
“Teachers are being trained to support students who struggle with attention deficit.”
noun + noun
07. trade deficit
“The trade deficit narrowed slightly last month as exports reached record highs.”
noun + noun
Preposition
08. in deficit
“The company's accounts were in deficit by nearly two million dollars at year-end.”
prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Many people in Spain are unable to access affordable rent, or even get on the property ladder due to skyrocketing prices and housing deficits in major cities across the country.” “Image caption, Long-term borrowing costs hit multi-decade highs on Tuesday, according to the Financial Times as it reports fears over inflation and fiscal deficits is pushing pressure on government debt around the globe.” “Parents who view their autistic children through a deficit lens may be more likely to pursue ineffective and dangerous pseudoscientific treatments.” “Even swaddled in the coziest of down jackets, deep-sea megalodon would be in a constant calorie deficit.” Etymology
From French déficit, from Latin dēficit.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/deficit
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0