A deficiency is when you don't have enough of something. This can be anything from food to water to vitamins.
The child had a deficiency of vitamin D.
Noun: deficiency (plural: deficiencies).
Adjective: deficient.
Verb: to be deficient in something.
The word "deficiency" comes from the Latin word "deficiens", which means "lacking" or "falling short". The word "deficiens" is derived from the verb "deficere", which means "to fail" or "to be lacking".
What does the word deficiency mean?