deficit

Plural: deficits

Noun

• The amount by which something is too small; a shortage.
• the property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required
  • "new blood vessels bud out from the already dilated vascular bed to make up the nutritional deficit"
• a deficiency or failure in neurological or mental functioning
  • "the people concerned have a deficit in verbal memory"
  • "they have serious linguistic deficits"
• (sports) the score by which a team or individual is losing
• an excess of liabilities over assets (usually over a certain period)
  • "last year there was a serious budgetary deficit"
• Deficiency in amount or quality; a falling short; lack.
• A situation wherein, or amount whereby, spending exceeds (e.g. government) revenue.

Examples

• She faced a 50-point deficit in Words With Friends and needed a miracle word.
• The crop output this year has been comparatively small, owing to the deficit in rainfall.

Synonyms

shortage, shortfall, fiscal deficit

Antonyms

lead, surplus

Related Words

defect, defection, defective, defector, deficiency, deficient