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déficit

deficit

noun DEH-fee-seet Less Common

Origin: From Latin deficit, it is lacking (third person singular of deficere).

Also means

shortfall

Usage Note

Déficit is mainly used in economics (déficit presupuestario, budgetary deficit) and medicine (déficit cognitivo). The RAE-recommended plural is déficits, though the invariable los déficit is still common in practice. The stress falls on the first syllable (esdrújula), and the word is always masculine.

Examples

"El gobierno anunció un déficit récord este año."

Natural Translation

The government announced a record deficit this year.

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