lack | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

146 entries found.

1640s, "state of being unsafe," also "lack of assurance or confidence, apprehension," from Medieval Latin insecuritas, from insecurus (see insecure). Specific psychological sense is by 1917.

maladjustment (n.)

"faulty adjustment, lack of adjustment," 1823, from mal- + adjustment. In a psychological sense, "unsuccessful adaptation to one's social environment," by 1899.

improvidence (n.)

"lack of foresight, rashness," mid-15c., from Late Latin improvidentia, from assimilated form of in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin providentia "foresight, precaution" (see providence).

decompensation (n.)

"lack or loss of compensation," especially, in medicine, "deterioration of a structure that had worked through compensation," 1900, from de- + compensation.

deprived (adj.)

1550s, "dispossessed," past-participle adjective from deprive. As a euphemism for the condition of children who lack a stable home life, by 1945.

immaturity (n.)

1530s, "untimeliness," from Latin immaturitatem (nominative immaturitas) "unripeness," from immaturus "unripe, untimely" (see immature). Meaning "lack of maturity" attested from c. 1600.

disproportion (n.)

"want of proportion of one thing to another, lack of symmetry," 1550s; see dis- + proportion. Perhaps from or based on French disproportion (16c.). As a verb from 1590s. Related: Disproportioned.

incapacity (n.)

1610s, "lack of ability, powerlessness," from French incapacité (16c.), from Medieval Latin incapacitatem (nominative incapacitas), from Late Latin incapax (genitive incapacis) "incapable," from in- "not" (see in- (1)) + Latin capax "capable," literally "able to hold much," from capere "to take," from PIE root *kap- "to grasp." As a legal term (1640s), "lack of qualification," referring to inability to take, receive, or deal with in some way.

disaffect (v.)

1620s, "lack affection for" (a sense now obsolete); 1640s, "alienate the affection of, make less friendly" (the main modern sense), from dis- + affect (v.1). Related: Disaffected; disaffecting.

insipience (n.)

early 15c., "lack of wisdom, foolishness," from Old French insipience (15c.) or directly from Latin insipientia "folly, unwisdom," from insipientem "unwise, foolish" (see insipient).

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