(n.) Deficiency in amount or quality; a falling short; lack; as, a deficit in taxes, revenue, etc.

absence arrear arrearage arrears back debts back payments balance beggary bouncing check break credit decline defalcation default defect defectiveness deferred payments deficiency deficit financing delinquency deprivation destitution difference discontinuity discrepancy dollar gap drought epact failure falling short famine gap hiatus imperfection impoverishment inadequacy incompleteness inferiority insufficiency interval lack lacuna loss missing link need net omission outage overdraft remainder scantiness short measure shortage shortcoming shortfall slump starvation surplus ullage underage want wantage