Word
inadequacy
Phoneticsin·ad·e·qua·cy
US/ˌɪˈnædɪkwəsi/
UK/ɪnˈædɪkwəsi/
Definition
n. the state of not being good enough or having enough of something. You use this when something is not strong, large, or useful enough for the job.
n. the state of being insufficient or lacking in quality, quantity, or strength. Often used to describe a failure to meet a standard or requirement.
Examples
“The old roof showed signs of inadequacy during the storm.”
“The committee pointed out the inadequacy of the current safety measures and demanded immediate improvements.”
“The philosopher argued that the human condition is defined by a fundamental inadequacy, a sense of not being fully realized or complete in our current state.”
Examples
simple
“The old roof showed signs of inadequacy during the storm.”
contextual
“The committee pointed out the inadequacy of the current safety measures and demanded immediate improvements.”
complex
“The philosopher argued that the human condition is defined by a fundamental inadequacy, a sense of not being fully realized or complete in our current state.”
Real-World Examples
“Any existing inadequacies will still be exposed when their cross-city rivals arrive on Sunday.” “Photograph: Maureen McLean/Shutterstock During his campaign to become Makerfield MP, Burnham spoke repeatedly about the threat of flooding to communities and the inadequacy of government planning and response.” Etymology
From inadequate + -cy or in- + adequacy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/inadequacy