A lack or shortage of something needed; a deficiency.
From Latin deficientia, from deficere (to fail, fall short), from de- (away) + facere (to do). This formal term is now largely replaced by the more common 'deficiency' in modern usage.
Deficience is an old-fashioned word that sounds almost musical compared to 'deficiency'—language naturally prefers shorter, simpler forms, which is why many -ence words got replaced by -cy versions over time!
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