deficient

adjective

Definition of deficientnext
1
as in incomplete
lacking some necessary part a diet deficient in calcium can lead to weak bones

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2
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard woefully deficient eyesight kept him out of military service

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3
as in lacking
not coming up to an expected measure or meeting a particular need too deficient in common sense to be trusted to stay by himself

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Thesaurus Entries Near deficient

deficiency

deficient

deficiently

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Cite this Entry

“Deficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deficient. Accessed 27 Jan. 2023.

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More from Merriam-Webster on deficient

Nglish: Translation of deficient for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of deficient for Arabic Speakers

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