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- DictionaryDe·fi·cient/dəˈfiSH(ə)nt/
adjective
- 1. not having enough of a specified quality or ingredient: "this diet is deficient in vitamin B"
- 2. having an intellectual disability. dated, offensive
Deficient definition: lacking some element or characteristic; defective. See examples of DEFICIENT used in a sentence.
Deficient definition: lacking some element or characteristic; defective. See examples of DEFICIENT used in a sentence.
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English de‧fi‧cient /dɪˈfɪʃənt/ adjective formal 1 not containing or having enough of something Women who are dieting can become iron deficient. deficient in patients who were deficient in vitamin C 2 not good enough Our prisons are our most deficient social service.
deficient/dɪˈfɪʃənt/adj. lacking some essential; incomplete; defective. inadequate in quantity or supply; insufficient. Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin dēficiēns lacking, from dēficere to fall short; see defectdeˈficientlyadv. 'deficient' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
1. : lacking in some necessary quality or element. deficient in judgment. bones deficient in calcium. 2. : not up to a normal standard or complement (see complement entry 1 sense 1b (1)) : defective. deficient strength. … rusted and aging pipes … abetted by deficient maintenance and sabotage. Adam Nossiter. deficiently adverb. 2 of 2. noun.
de·fi·cient. pronunciation: dih fI shnt. features: Word Combinations ( adjective ), Word Parts. Word Parts Subscriber feature About this feature. The meaning of deficient. Definition of deficient. English dictionary and integrated thesaurus for learners, writers, teachers, and students with advanced, intermediate, and beginner levels.
1. : not having enough of something that is important or necessary. a nutritionally deficient diet. — usually + in. a diet deficient in certain vitamins. a man who is deficient in judgment [=a man whose judgment is poor] students who are deficient [= lacking] in their knowledge of history. 2. : not good enough : not as good as others.
