inefficiency

I1N1E1F4F4I1C3I1E1N1C3Y4

noun

Lack of efficiency or effectiveness.

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 25

Meanings

nouninefficiency (countable and uncountable, plural inefficiencies)

plural inefficiencies

  1. countableuncountableLack of efficiency or effectiveness.

    Yet only 21 percent of adult TANF recipients are working today, largely because of these inefficiencies and loopholes.

    2024 September 23, Sam Adolphsen, Paige Terryberry, “WITH REFORM, TANF CAN LIFT AMERICAN FAMILIES OUT OF DEPENDENCY”, in Foundation for Government Accountability, page 5
    1 more example

    “An organization’s reputational integrity is its greatest currency. When you compromise that, you have lost the loyalty and trust of your employees,” Wahler said. “His approach is going to increase inefficiency by creating an environment marked by instability, a lack of trust and divisiveness.”

    2025 February 27, Jeanne Sahadi, “DOGE’s heavy-handed approach is not likely to make the government more efficient”, in CNN

Synonyms & antonyms

noununskillfulness resulting from a lack of efficiency

Opposite
Also see

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Middle Englishin-
  6. Englishin-
  7. Englishefficiency
  8. Englishinefficiency

From in- + efficiency.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian неспособност, безрезултатност
  • неспособност (nesposobnost)degree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
  • безрезултатност (bezrezultatnost)degree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
Dutch inefficiëntie
  • inefficiëntiedegree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
French inefficacité
  • inefficacitédegree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
German Ineffizienz
  • Ineffizienzdegree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
Norwegian Bokmål ineffektivitet
  • ineffektivitetdegree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
Portuguese ineficiência
  • ineficiênciadegree or measure of someone or something's lack of efficiency or effectiveness
Cite this entry
APA

inefficiency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inefficiency

MLA

“inefficiency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inefficiency. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inefficiency,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inefficiency.

Source: inefficiency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.