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lack definition

lack (lak)

noun

  1. the fact or condition of not having enough; shortage; deficiency
  2. the fact or condition of not having any; complete absence
  3. the thing that is lacking or needed

Etymology: early ME lac < or akin to MLowG & MDu lak, lack: for IE base see leak

intransitive verb

  1. to be wanting or missing; show a deficiency
    1. to be short: with in, for, or, now rarely, of
    2. to be in need

Etymology: ME lacen < MDu laken, to be wanting

transitive verb

  1. to be deficient in or entirely without
  2. to fall short by lacking one ounce of being a pound
  3. Obsolete to need; require

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

lack Synonyms

lack

n.

  1. The state of being lacking

    destitution, absence, need, dearth, shortage, paucity, deprivation, deficiency, deficit, scarcity, exiguity, exigency, insufficiency, inadequacy, privation, poverty, distress, scantiness.

    Antonyms plenty*, sufficiency*, abundance. *

  2. That which is lacking

    need, decrease, want, loss, depletion, shrinkage, shortage, shortness, short fall, shortcoming, abridgment, defect, meagerness, scantiness, slightness, inferiority, paucity, stint, curtailment, retrenchment, reduction; see also necessity 2.

    Antonyms wealth*, overflow*, satisfaction.


lack

v.

need, want, require, have need (of); see need.

lack implies an absence or insufficiency of something essential or desired she lacks experience; want (in this sense, chiefly British) and need stress the urgency of supplying what is lacking this matter needs, or wants, immediate attention; require emphasizes even more strongly imperative need, connoting that what is needed is indispensable his work requires great powers of concentration


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

lack Usage Examples

Object

  • confidence: Many lacked confidence in the strength of their case.

Converse of object

  • perceive: Finally, the table points to a perceived lack of opportunities for women.

Converse of subject

  • hamper: To date, the resolution of this problem has been hampered by a lack of reliable experimental data at a large scale.

Adjective modifier

  • apparent: There is an apparent lack of genuine leadership on Climate Change.

Modifies a noun

  • luster: Now I wonder why weren't the lack luster Tories queuing up to talk about that to every available newspaper and TV Company?

Preposition: of

  • clarity: Again, lack of political clarity was the major handicap.
lack usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

lack quotes

Vixere fortes anteAgamemnona Multi; sed omnes illacrimabiles Urgentur ignotique longa Nocte, carent quia vate sacro. Many brave men lived before Agamemnon's time; but theyare all unmourned and unknown, covered by the long night, because they lack their sacred poet.

-Horace full name  Quintus Horatius Flaccus   65

lack quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"lack." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/lack>

APA Style

lack. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/lack

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