Synonyms for inadequacy
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Insufficiency — A shortage of required material
insufficiency, deficiency, lack, incompleteness, scarcity, shortage, defect, want, defectiveness, wantfulness, dearth, scantiness
2. Incompetence — A lack of competence or ability
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
A shortage of required material.
- n. 2
A lack of competence or ability.
Forms
- Plural
- inadequacies → insufficiencies, deficiencies, lacks, incompletenesses…
Example sentences
- lack I had to leave out this problem for lack of space.
- deficiency AIDS means "Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome".
- insufficiency The drought led to an insufficiency of food.
- incompleteness The author calls attention to the incompleteness of that article.
- inability I am impatient with his inability to make decisions.
- incompetence We lost the case due to the lawyer's incompetence.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| inadequacy | falling | |
| lack | steady | |
| deficiency | falling | |
| insufficiency | steady | |
| incompleteness | rising | |
| inability | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- want1, lack1
- 6 letters
- defect2, dearth1
- 8 letters
- shortage2, scarcity3
- 9 letters
- inability5
- 10 letters
- inequality5, deficiency4, scantiness3
- 11 letters
- wantfulness
- 12 letters
- incompetence4, incompetency5, incapability
- 13 letters
- insufficiency5, defectiveness
- 14 letters
- incompleteness, inadequateness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (defect2 = 2 syllables).