lacked

Lacked is the past tense and past participle form of the verb lack. To lack something means to be without it or to be deficient in it. Lacked is used to describe a state at a past time or in a narrative, and it often appears in reports, descriptions, and literary writing.

Usage: It typically takes a direct object, as in “The team lacked funding” or “The report lacked details.” It can also be followed by “in” to indicate deficiency in a quality: “lacked in experience” or “lacked in transparency.” It conveys a definite absence at a particular time or moment rather than a current ongoing condition.

Examples: “The project lacked clear goals.” “The suspect lacked motive.” “The city lacked adequate public transport at the time.”

Etymology and related terms: Lacked derives from the noun lack, which denotes the absence of something. Related concepts include deficiency, shortage, and the phrase “lack of” used to describe a deficiency, as in “a lack of resources.”