1
as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
dealt with the school's insufficiency of art supplies by buying materials out of her own pocket
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in inability
the lack of sufficient ability, power, or means
her alleged insufficiency for the job
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insufficiency
But there’s another common culprit that most women don’t think about—vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency.
—
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026
Adrenal insufficiency, meanwhile, occurs when the adrenal glands don't produce enough of the hormone cortisol, which helps regulate metabolism, blood pressure and immune function.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
Before games, a sense of insufficiency flooded the 12-year-old.
—Gail Cornwall, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Placental insufficiency, in which the organ fails to develop or function properly, is a leading cause of spontaneous preterm birth, experts say.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficiency
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 24 Apr. 2026
Adrenal insufficiency, meanwhile, occurs when the adrenal glands don't produce enough of the hormone cortisol, which helps regulate metabolism, blood pressure and immune function.
—Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 5 Apr. 2026
Before games, a sense of insufficiency flooded the 12-year-old.
—Gail Cornwall, Time, 3 Apr. 2026
Placental insufficiency, in which the organ fails to develop or function properly, is a leading cause of spontaneous preterm birth, experts say.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for insufficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insufficiency
Noun
-
Most of Gaza’s 2 million residents remain displaced amid devastation and severe shortages, as new Israeli strikes on crowded areas kill children and other civilians Israel labels militant targets.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Fun, frothy page-turners are often the go-to when selecting a book for summer reading, and this year promises no shortage of entertaining titles.—
Suzanne Van Atten,
AJC.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
Among the reasons why Southern California was seen as vulnerable, the report said in 2008, was a loss of water due to quake damage and the resulting inability of firefighters to extinguish blazes.—
Shelby Grad,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
While there are some drawbacks compared to traditional investments — such as its inability to earn dividends — there are several ways to add gold to your portfolio.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Silva said the single most alarming aspect of the report was the lack of information available to emergency responders.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
-
The Mexican team’s lack of elite club experience, however, is obvious and could be a problem.—
Eduard Cauich,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
To counter this, the Eversolo Play includes Room Correction which can sample the sound produced by the Eversolo Play and then automatically adjusts the EQ or tone settings to compensate for any acoustic deficiencies.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Lisa knows staying inside is taking a toll on her family; with so much less time playing in the sun, her younger daughter was recently diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
24 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insufficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insufficiency. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
