noun
inefficiency
noun
1
The quality of wasting time, effort, or resources instead of working well.
"The audit uncovered serious inefficiency in how the warehouse handled orders."
"Cutting out inefficiency saved the company thousands each month."
How to Use Inefficiency
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishWasted effort — doing something in a way that costs more time, money, or energy than it should.
Common pairings
root out inefficiency
operational inefficiency
a source of inefficiency
Word Forms
inefficiencies plural
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Etymology
From in- + efficiency, from Latin efficientia.
Rhymes for inefficiency
agency
urgency
potency
decency
regency
currency
tendency
clemency
leniency
frequency
emergency
residency
See all rhymes for inefficiency →