for lack of
idiom
: not having (the thing specified)
They called it a comet, for lack of a better term/word.
For lack of anything better to do, we went to the park.
Examples of for lack of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Galleries have closed down for lack of sales and new ones are not opening because of the high cost of rental.
—
Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Your character is coming out at a time when he would be considered, for lack of a better term, the monster.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Both envision a future in which robots, for lack of a better word (these are not your Lost in Space tin men), become all but indistinguishable from humans.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
When strategies don’t work, people blame the C-suite for lack of clarity or follow-through, middle managers for blocking progress, or frontline employees for not playing their part.
—Harvard Business Review, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for for lack of
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Letters To The Editor, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Jan. 2026
Your character is coming out at a time when he would be considered, for lack of a better term, the monster.
—Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2026
Both envision a future in which robots, for lack of a better word (these are not your Lost in Space tin men), become all but indistinguishable from humans.
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025
When strategies don’t work, people blame the C-suite for lack of clarity or follow-through, middle managers for blocking progress, or frontline employees for not playing their part.
—Harvard Business Review, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for for lack of
Cite this Entry
“For lack of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20lack%20of. Accessed 8 Jan. 2026.
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