A deficit or failure to meet a required or expected amount.
Compound word formed from 'short' (Old English sceort) and 'fall' (Old English feallan). First appeared in the mid-20th century in business contexts, combining the sense of 'lacking' with 'falling short' to describe financial or quantitative deficits.
This relatively modern compound word perfectly captures the metaphor of expectations as a height - when results don't reach that height, they 'fall short'. It's become indispensable in business and economics, showing how English creates precise new terms by combining simple existing words.
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