| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| deficient |
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| SYLLABICATION: | de·fi·cient |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  d -fsh  nt |
| ADJECTIVE: | 1. Lacking an essential quality or element: deficient in common sense. 2. Inadequate in amount or degree; insufficient: a deficient education. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Latin d ficins, dficient-, present participle of dficere, to fail, be wanting. See defect. | | OTHER FORMS: | de·ficient —NOUN
de·ficient·ly —ADVERB
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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