— deficiently , adv.
/di fish"euhnt/ , adj.
1. lacking some element or characteristic; defective: deficient in taste.
2. insufficient; inadequate: deficient knowledge.
n.
3. a person who is deficient, esp. one who is mentally defective.
[ 1575-85; deficient- (s. of deficiens, prp. of deficere to fail, run short, lack, weaken), equiv. to de- DE- + fic-, comb. form of facere to make, DO 1 + thematic -i- + -ent- -ENT ]