Synonyms

inefficiency

American

[in-i-fish-uhn-see] / ˌɪn ɪˈfɪʃ ən si /

noun

plural

inefficiencies

the quality or condition of being inefficient; lack of efficiency.
an instance of inefficiency.

This work is riddled with inefficiencies.

Etymology

Origin of inefficiency

First recorded in 1740–50; ineffici(ent) + -ency

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.

“Every additional body that you throw at a problem adds more process, more bureaucracy, more politics, more inefficiency, more coordination.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But for all the criticism of Block’s inefficiencies, the “head count actions cannot be explained by ‘bloat’” as “that problem was somewhat solved from 2023-2025,” Rawat added.

From MarketWatch

Secondly, they push up commodity prices, not only by creating inefficiencies, but also by stoking investor appetite.

From The Wall Street Journal

Second, trade barriers push up commodity prices, not only by creating inefficiencies but also by stoking investor appetite.

From The Wall Street Journal

Economies grow because we improve processes, not because we preserve inefficiencies.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023