as in inability
the lack of ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy
The candidate blamed her opponent for the local government's inefficiency.
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Recent Examples of inefficiency
For smaller fleets that lack the purchasing power of large enterprises, every inefficiency hits harder.
—
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 30 June 2025
Indications of inefficiency include high turnover within your portfolio, with many trades being placed that may potentially lead to a higher tax bill.
—Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Internally, colleagues across departments provide key insights that challenge assumptions and reveal inefficiencies.
—Robert E. Siegel, CNBC, 26 June 2025
But the answer to bureaucratic inefficiency is not secrecy and self-regulation.
—Marcus Friedman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 30 June 2025
Indications of inefficiency include high turnover within your portfolio, with many trades being placed that may potentially lead to a higher tax bill.
—Jonathan I. Shenkman, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Internally, colleagues across departments provide key insights that challenge assumptions and reveal inefficiencies.
—Robert E. Siegel, CNBC, 26 June 2025
But the answer to bureaucratic inefficiency is not secrecy and self-regulation.
—Marcus Friedman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inefficiency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inefficiency
Noun
-
Louis Thuillier was distraught by his inability to know the plight of his subjects; to view the photographs from the distance of a century can imbue the viewer with a similar melancholy.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
-
What’s maddening is Gunn’s inability to let his characters sit in discomfort.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The resulting media circus of their incompetence distracts us from their behind-the-scenes actions that are fueling a growing health crisis impacting the very working-class communities that helped deliver Trump his second term.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
-
Unlike paternalism — which presumes incompetence and justifies overriding someone’s autonomy — maternalism operates relationally, that is to say, it is rooted in relational awareness.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
If Black and Middlebrooks plan to make that challenge, their lawyers must file petitions alleging incompetency between May 27-29 for Black and between July 7-9 for Middlebrooks.—
Evan Mealins,
Nashville Tennessean,
3 Mar. 2025
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Outside of your job, take time to strengthen your incompetency by undergoing extra training and courses, and attending events if necessary.—
Rachel Wells,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inefficiency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inefficiency. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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