as in inability
the lack of ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy
The candidate blamed her opponent for the local government's inefficiency.
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Recent Examples of inefficiency
Trump did so despite the 1935 ruling in Humphrey's Executor v. United States, in which the Supreme Court unanimously held that the president can only remove FTC commissioners for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.
—
Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
To win this one, UTEP will need to pressure the quarterback and capitalize on UL Monroe's red‑zone inefficiencies.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
An industry once defined by paper trails and inefficiency is slowly transforming into one driven by automation, speed, and customer focus.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council highlight common root causes of application inefficiency and share their experience to help teams address them effectively.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2025
To win this one, UTEP will need to pressure the quarterback and capitalize on UL Monroe's red‑zone inefficiencies.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
An industry once defined by paper trails and inefficiency is slowly transforming into one driven by automation, speed, and customer focus.
—Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025
Below, members of Forbes Technology Council highlight common root causes of application inefficiency and share their experience to help teams address them effectively.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficiency
Noun
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Maybe that’s part of what fuels the visible frustration — an inability to be a bigger part of the solution.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
26 Sep. 2025
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Due to the unexpected medical fees and her inability to work in schools because of her diagnosis, her friend created a GoFundMe to help raise money for her treatment.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
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No wonder de Lesseps became a national pariah whose name was synonymous with dishonest incompetence.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Sep. 2025
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Being berated by your boss for your incompetence and having a bunch of strangers laugh at you is true nightmare fuel.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Maybe that data suggests incompetency in the sporting director role.—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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The National Geographic series dives into footage and narratives from officials leading the disaster response at the time, revealing incompetencies and false information from the media that cost locals their lives.—
Sam Gillette,
People.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Previous attempts to produce HBL sustainably achieved only limited success due to safety issues, ineffectiveness or a lack of cost-efficiency, according to the study team.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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There are glimpses of improvement that are quickly overshadowed by long bouts of ineffectiveness.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficiency. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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