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Definitions

lack

[lak] / læk /




Usage

What are other ways to say lack? The verb lack means to be without or to have less than a desirable quantity of something: to lack courage, sufficient money, enough members to make a quorum. Need often suggests urgency, stressing the necessity of supplying what is lacking: to need an operation, better food, a match to light the fire. Require, which expresses necessity as strongly as need, occurs most frequently in serious or formal contexts: Your presence at the hearing is required. Successful experimentation requires careful attention to detail.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The lack of adequate explanation does seem to be a sin of omission by “The Battle to Breathe,” especially given the narrative that leads us to the development of Trikafta.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, another vendor, Innovaccer, raised concerns about the pilot program’s launch, citing CMS’s changing requirements and expectations, unclear governance processes and the lack of time provided for end-to-end testing with the medical community.

From MarketWatch Sep. 15, 2026

Now we know the answer is no, and it’s not for lack of trying.

From Salon Sep. 15, 2026

"Many people have legitimate reasons for relying on physical ID, whether out of choice, privacy and security concerns, or because they lack the digital skills or means to use digital ID," she said.

From BBC Sep. 14, 2026

It is not for lack of trying, either.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

He added that if at any time a leader of an AI company lacks confidence in their product they should choose to not release it.

From BBC Sep. 15, 2026

Juanita Goebertus, Americas director for Human Rights Watch, said the U.S. security effort lacks emphasis on fighting money laundering and shifting crime dynamics in Latin America.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 12, 2026

It also lacks the deep historic library some competitors hold — the gap its failed Warner Bros. bid would have closed.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 11, 2026

Resembling fishing nets, the mesh lacks the sophistication of other military hardware.

From Barron's Sep. 9, 2026

“Perhaps my species lacks the capacity,” he said.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

District Judge James V. Selna dismissed that complaint, ruling his Santa Ana court lacked jurisdiction over the foreign automakers.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 15, 2026

The researchers also found that the animal lacked the high caudal fin seen in modern crocodiles.

From Science Daily Sep. 15, 2026

It also found that the county lacked a “wildfire personal protective equipment stockpile or distribution model,” which slowed that process.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 15, 2026

Regional markets on Tuesday lacked cues from New York given Monday’s Labor Day holiday, and investors are now looking to U.S. consumer inflation data due Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 8, 2026

Her face was pale and her eyes lacked expression.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

With Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson bringing the pace, England have a Swiss army knife of an attack, albeit lacking a left-armer.

From BBC Sep. 12, 2026

They found that the bot sounded more extroverted than Richard, but that it was lacking in his humor.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 12, 2026

Prosecutors have accused the defendants of helping launch a "substandard small boat, uncertified, unfit for navigation on the open sea, overcrowded and lacking appropriate life jackets."

From Barron's Sep. 8, 2026

Cats are already known for lacking a "sweet tooth," but this marks the first recorded case in felids involving the inactivation of genes tied to sour taste perception.

From Science Daily Sep. 8, 2026

They are certainly an urban adaptation of the fundamental Karhidish institution of the Hearth, though lacking, of course, the topical and genealogical stability of the Hearth.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin




Vocabulary lists containing lack


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