a lack or shortfall of something necessary or required
example
The doctor said that the child has a vitamin deficiency and needs to eat healthier food.
synonyms
shortageinsufficiencylack
word origin — from Latin 'deficientia', meaning 'a failing' or 'lack'
deficiency, conducive, plausible, annihilate, savvy: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 words from Advanced Plus set 31. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
deficiency · noun/dɪˈfɪʃənsi/
a lack or shortfall of something necessary or required
The doctor said that the child has a vitamin deficiency and needs to eat healthier food.
Synonyms: shortage, insufficiency, lack
Origin: from Latin 'deficientia', meaning 'a failing' or 'lack'
conducive · adjective/kənˈduːsɪv/
tending to promote or assist an outcome
A quiet room is conducive to studying well for exams.
Synonyms: helpful, favorable, beneficial
Origin: from Latin 'conducere' meaning 'to lead together'
plausible · adjective/ˈplɔːzəbl/
seeming reasonable or probable
The teacher gave a plausible explanation for why the experiment did not work.
Synonyms: credible, likely, believable
Origin: from Latin 'plausibilis', meaning 'worthy of applause or praise'
annihilate · verb/əˈnaɪ.ə.leɪt/
to destroy completely or utterly
The storm was so strong that it could annihilate the whole city.
Synonyms: destroy, wipe out, eliminate
Origin: from the Latin 'annihilare', meaning 'to make as nothing' or 'to reduce to nothing'
savvy · adjective/ˈsævi/
having practical knowledge and experience
She is very tech-savvy and can fix almost any computer problem.
Synonyms: knowledgeable, experienced
Origin: The word 'savvy' comes from the Spanish word 'sabe,' which means 'he knows.'