the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable; "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"
(sometimes followed by `to') not meeting the requirements especially of a task; "inadequate training"; "the staff was inadequate"; "she was inadequate to the job"
not sufficient to meet a need; "an inadequate income"; "a poor salary"; "money is short"; "on short rations"; "food is in short supply"; "short on experience"