From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishlacklack1 /læk/ ●●● S3 W2 noun [singular, uncountable] NOT HAVEwhen there is not enough of something, or none of it SYN shortage OPP surpluslack of new parents suffering from lack of sleep Too many teachers are treated with a lack of respect. comments based on a total lack of information Does their apparent lack of progress mean they are not doing their job properly? tours that are cancelled for lack of bookings There was no lack of willing helpers. health problems linked to poor diet and a relative lack of exerciseCOLLOCATIONSadjectivesa complete/total lack of somethingI was amazed by his almost total lack of interest in music.a relative/comparative lack of somethingThere is a relative lack of research into this medical condition.a distinct/marked/conspicuous lack of something (=very noticeable)She looked at him with a marked lack of enthusiasm.an apparent lack of something (=one that seems to exist)Adam's apparent lack of concern angered his brother.phrasesthere is no lack of something (=there is plenty of it)There is no lack of information on the subject.
Examples from the Corpus
lack• She showed a complete lack of interest in her own baby.• The options never reached a vote, however, as the meeting was cancelled for lack of support!• I think a lot of people are surprised by my lack of being overwhelmed.• Daniel prefaces his interpretation with a review of Nebuchadnezzar's prideful fall from grace and Beishazzar's own lack of humility.• I wonder if the company have any idea how much wildlife has been killed by the lack of water.• Largely this arises from the lack of adequate time-series data on resource levels.• The lack of comprehension can be attributed in part to the paucity of electronic commerce applications that the consumer has personally experienced.• The lack of oxygen at this height saps power.• Tobaccocontrol advocates agree, saying their lack of vigilance in decades past had allowed the Tobacco Institute to gain power and influence.relative lack of• From this position there is a relative lack of regard for the Symbolic order.• This may be related to a relative lack of social stability: being more frequently single and in less permanent accommodation.• They say they consider him uncorrupted, and are impressed by his relative lack of political ambition.• Proof of this may be demonstrated by the relative lack of pleasure when smoking a cigarette with one's eyes shut.• The lesson, the drama, the learning all appear to be at risk because of the relative lack of structure.• These factors may have contributed markedly to the relative lack of success of the minor marriages.• The relative lack of input from Texas means a relative lack of interest from the candidates.lacklack2 ●●○ W3 verb 1 [transitive]NOT HAVE to not have something that you need, or not have enough of it Alex’s real problem is that he lacks confidence. ► Do not use ‘in’ or ‘of’ after the verb lack: We lack ideas (NOT We lack in/of ideas). However, you can use these prepositions after be lacking in and a lack: We are lacking in ideas. | There is a lack of ideas.2 → not lack for something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
lack• Glenn has the discipline that Forman lacks.• Kevin lacks a willingness to try new things.• Many people lack adequate pension arrangements.• Tom lacks confidence and needs a lot of encouragement.• Obviously, even parents who have lacked early contact with their infants after hospital births generally become bonded to their babies.• And yet they have lacked enough concentration to lose five games.• They lived in appalling conditions, lacking even the most primitive sanitation.• I think I lacked inner peace.• And the Ports have lacked real aggression in midfield since McCreadie's departure!• Fourth, the fund may lack the accounting systems and performance measurement techniques to incorporate futures, so discouraging their use.• He lacked the energy to argue with him.• However, our real weakness is not that we lack the potential, but that we lack the will to act.• And so she lacked the seniority to get into that high or into that new school.• Napoleon lacked up-to-the-minute information at the crucial moment; he didn't know what Bluücher was doing.Origin lack2 (1200-1300) Middle Dutch laken 