Synonyms: insufficiency, inadequacy, deficiency
Definition: lack of an adequate quantity or number
Usage: the inadequacy of unemployment benefits
Similar words: amount
Definition: the relative magnitude of something with reference to a criterion
Usage: an adequate amount of food for four people
Synonyms: deficiency, lack, want
Definition: the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
Usage: there is a serious lack of insight into the problem; water is the critical deficiency in desert regions; for want of a nail the shoe was lost
Definition: a condition requiring relief
Usage: she satisfied his need for affection; God has no need of men to accomplish His work; there is a demand for jobs