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Underfunding - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

Underfunding means not providing enough money or resources for something, such as a project, organization, or service, which can lead to poor performance or failure. It often results from budget cuts or insufficient funding.

underfunding

/ˌʌndərˈfʌndɪŋ/ /ˌʌndəˈfʌndɪŋ/

Definition:

Insufficient financial support for a project, organization, or service.

Synonyms:

underfinancing, underresourcing, inadequate funding

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

overfunding, ample funding

Common Collocations:

chronic underfunding, public underfunding, education underfunding

Derivatives:

underfunded, underfunds

Usage Tips:

Use "underfunding" to describe a lack of financial resources in formal contexts like reports or discussions about budgets.

Common Phrases:

systemic underfunding, address the underfunding, consequences of underfunding

Etymology:

Derived from "under-" (insufficient) + "funding" (providing money), first recorded in the mid-20th century.

Examples:

  • 1. The school suffers from chronic underfunding and lacks basic supplies.
  • 2. Underfunding has led to staff shortages in many hospitals.
  • 3. The government acknowledged the underfunding of public transportation systems.
  • 4. Nonprofits often struggle due to persistent underfunding of their programs.

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