deficient
/dɪˈfɪʃənt/adjective, noun
deficient is spelled D-E-F-I-C-I-E-N-T: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 18,811th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, deficient means “Lacking something essential; often construed with in” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in deficient?
| Letters | 9: D-E-F-I-C-I-E-N-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.1 times per million words; the 18,811th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is deficient?
Deficient appears 2.1 times per million words in written English, the 18,811th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce deficient?
- UK /dɪˈfɪʃənt/
Deficient has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-deficient.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of deficient
- more deficient comparative
- most deficient superlative
- deficients plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does deficient mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Lacking something essential; often construed with in.
They were deficient in social skills.
- 2
Insufficient or inadequate in amount.
Apothecia lecanoroid; multilocular; each cell containing a single theke; paraphyses deficient.
- 3
Of a number n, Having the sum of divisors σ(n) < 2n, or, equivalently, the sum of proper divisors (or aliquot sum) s(n) < n.
noun
- 1
A person who is deficient.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Deficient in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | mangelhaft , defizient |
| Portuguese | deficiente |
| Spanish | deficiente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does deficient come from?
From Latin deficiens, present participle of deficere (“to lack, fail, be wanting”); see defect.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).