Insufficiency

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɪnsəˈfɪʃənsi/

Definitions

1. A state of being inadequate or not enough to meet a particular need or requirement
2. A lack of adequate quantity or quality which prevents the fulfillment of needs or expectations
3. A condition characterized by an inadequate supply or quality that fails to satisfy essential demands or requirements

Etymology: "Insufficiency" is a plain English compound: the prefix "in-", meaning "not", attached to "sufficiency", which itself traces back to Latin "sufficere", "to be enough" (from "sub-", "under", plus "facere", "to make"), the source of "sufficient" as well. The sense of "not enough" is therefore built directly into the word, and English simply adds the negative to an existing term. The prefix has an older journey than the word it sits on. Its ancestor is a negative particle reaching back to Proto-Indo-European, which passed through Proto-Italic and Latin in the form "in-", and English took it in both native and Latin-derived words. Because it is so productive, English speakers can negate almost any adjective or noun in this way, which is why "insufficiency" sits comfortably alongside older forms like "inadequacy" and "insufficient."

Synonyms: inadequacy, deficiency, shortfall

Antonyms: sufficiency, adequacy, abundance