What does lacking mean?
Lacking means that something required is absent, insufficient, or in short supply. It is especially common in formal and professional contexts, as in “lacking sufficient resources” or “lacking in experience.” The word can describe people, objects, evidence, qualities, or arrangements, and it often suggests that a deficiency is significant enough to affect an outcome: a report may be lacking because an important section or supporting evidence is missing. As the present participle of the verb “lack,” it can also describe an action in progress, as in “The participants were lacking adequate access to the service.” Although “lacking” can sound blunt, it is usually more precise than vague terms such as “bad” because it identifies a shortfall without necessarily suggesting total failure. It is a useful word for diagnosing exactly what is absent from a person, plan, or piece of work.
Not having enough of something; deficient in a required quality, amount, or possession.
"The evidence was lacking, so the investigators could not draw a conclusion."
Commonly used with “in” before a noun: “lacking in detail.”
The present participle of lack, used to describe the absence or insufficiency of something.
"The candidates were lacking confidence in their ability to succeed."
In this use, it follows the pattern of a present participle and can stand alone or accompany another verb: “The candidates were lacking confidence while remaining composed.”
When a plan is “lacking,” the problem is not usually that it is wrong, but that something essential has been left out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lacking come from?
“Lacking” was formed in the early 19th century by adding the present-participle suffix “-ing” to the verb “lack.” The word “lack” was borrowed from Middle English, where it appeared in the sense of “be without” or “be deficient in.” The longer history of the base word includes related forms in several European languages, though “lacking” itself is an English formation rather than a direct borrowing.
Related word forms
How lacking is actually used
“Lacking” is formal but widely used. It commonly takes the pattern “lacking in” when followed by the missing quality or resource: “lacking in confidence.” It can also stand alone when the missing item is understood or has already been mentioned.
Easily confused with lacking
Lacking is the adjective or participial form of lack, whereas “lack” is the noun or verb from which it is formed.
Lacking means being deficient or missing something, while a lapse is a decline, error, or period of faulty performance.