deficient

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deficient

/dɪˈfɪʃənt/ UK

Rhymes with -ɪʃənt

Where it comes from

From Latin deficiens, present participle of deficere (“to lack, fail, be wanting”); see defect.

adjective more deficient · most deficient

Lacking something essential; often construed with in. They were deficient in social skills.
Similar: absent, poor in, void of, awanting, bereft of, deficient of, deprived of, destitute of, devoid of, lacking, leer, robbed of
Insufficient or inadequate in amount. Apothecia lecanoroid; multilocular; each cell containing a single theke; paraphyses deficient.
Of a number n, Having the sum of divisors σ(n) < 2n, or, equivalently, the sum of proper divisors (or aliquot sum) s(n) < n.

noun deficients

A person who is deficient. This was justified by the rationale that mental deficients, by definition, are not able to succeed in society.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: insufficient, inadequate, poor, lacking, substandard, scarce, inferior, scant, skimpy, shy, nonstandard, depleted, short, wanting, lean, low

Translations

Every language

adj lacking something essential

Español	deficiente
Português	deficiente
Deutsch	mangelhaft
Italiano	deficiente
Română	deficient

adj insufficient or inadequate in amount

Español	deficiente
Deutsch	defizient
Română	insuficient, deficient

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Cite this

MLA

"deficient." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/deficient. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

deficient. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/deficient

Chicago

"deficient." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/deficient.

BibTeX

@misc{deficient_2026,
  title = {deficient},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/deficient},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}