déficience
deficiency, lack
noun day-fee-SYAHNS Rare
Origin: Latin 'deficientia' (failing, shortfall)
Usage Note
Déficience is used in medical and formal contexts to mean a lack or insufficiency — déficience immunitaire ('immune deficiency'), déficience mentale ('intellectual disability'). The related adjective déficient ('deficient, inadequate') and the more everyday manque ('lack') cover similar ground at different registers.
Examples
"Il souffre d'une déficience en vitamine D."
Natural Translation
He suffers from a vitamin D deficiency.
Literal Translation
He suffers of a deficiency in vitamin D.

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