English Dictionary
Definition of “lack”
lack (læk
)
Definitions
noun
- an insufficiency, shortage, or absence of something required or desired
- something that is required but is absent or in short supply
verb
- when intr, often foll by in or for to be deficient (in) or have need (of) ⇒
to lack purpose
Word Origin
C12: related to Middle Dutch laken to be wanting
Synonyms
View thesaurus entry
=
shortage,
want,
absence,
deficiency,
need,
shortcoming,
deprivation,
inadequacy,
scarcity,
dearth,
privation,
shortness,
destitution,
insufficiency,
scantiness,
debt,
Translations
- British English:
lack
If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it, or there is none at all.Despite his lack of experience, he got the job.læk NOUN Despite his lack of experience, he got the job.
- Spanish:
carencia
nf
- French:
manque
nm
- German:
Mangel
nm Mängel
- Chinese: 缺乏 n
- Arabic: نَقْصٌ n
- Portuguese: falta nf
- Russian: нехватка nf
- Croatian: nedostatak nm
- Czech: nedostatek nm
- Danish: mangel nutr
- Dutch: gebrek nnt
- Finnish: puute n
- Greek: έλλειψη nf
- Italian: mancanza nf
- Japanese: 欠乏 n
- Korean: 부족 n
- Norwegian: mangel nm
- Polish: brak nm
- Brazilian Portuguese: falta nf
- European Spanish:
carencia
nf
- Swedish: brist nutr
- Thai: การขาด n
- Turkish: eksiklik n
- Vietnamese: sự thiếu n
Usage examples
These Medalonians really did lack the proper understanding of the place of a female.
Jennifer Fallon, TREASON KEEP (2001)Transport In spite of the lack of metropolitan centres, Derbyshire is surprisingly well connected.
Country Life (2004)Apart from cost, the most common barriers to seeking counselling were fear of facing problems, stigma and lack of knowledge of services.
Irish Times (2002)Another strike against Koizumi is his lack of experience on the international stage.
Glasgow Herald (2001)There is another ` lack of insight ' often diagnosed in psychiatric hospitals.
Dorothy Rowe, BEYOND FEAR (2002)
