Meaning
lack; absence; deficiency; want; dearth
Nuance & Usage
欠如 describes the complete absence or significant lack of something that should be present — a deficiency. 倫理観の欠如 (lack of ethics), 共感力の欠如 (deficiency of empathy), 欠如した部分 (the missing/deficient part) are typical uses. Unlike 不足 (fusoku — shortage, not enough of something), 欠如 implies that something is fundamentally missing — not just insufficient. 欠如する (to be lacking) is the verb form. In academic psychology and sociology, 欠如 is used to describe cognitive or emotional deficiencies.
Common Mistakes
Learners confuse 欠如 with 不足 (fusoku — shortage, insufficiency) and 欠乏 (ketsubou — want/deprivation, often physical necessities). 欠如 implies an essential quality or characteristic is completely absent; 不足 means there isn't enough of something. 責任感の欠如 (lack of responsibility) and 道徳心の欠如 (absence of moral sense) are very common collocations in formal criticism. 欠如を補う (to compensate for a deficiency) is useful. Don't use 欠如 for material shortages — use 不足 instead.
Example Sentences
倫理意識の欠如が、組織の不祥事を招く主要な原因の一つだ。
りんりいしきのけつじょが、そしきのふしょうじをまねくしゅようなげんいんのひとつだ。
A lack of ethical awareness is one of the main causes of organizational misconduct.
こみゅにけーしょんのうりょくの欠如が、ちーむの連携を大きく妨げた。
こみゅにけーしょんのうりょくのけつじょが、ちーむのれんけいをおおきくさまたげた。
A deficiency in communication ability greatly hindered the team's coordination.
社会的共感力の欠如は、格差問題の解消を困難にする要因とされている。
しゃかいてききょうかんりょくのけつじょは、かくさもんだいのかいしょうをこんなんにするよういんとされている。
A lack of social empathy is considered a factor that makes solving inequality problems difficult.
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