for lack of
idiom
: not having (the thing specified)
They called it a comet, for lack of a better term/word.
For lack of anything better to do, we went to the park.
Examples of for lack of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Nolan Arenado remains a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, but not for lack of trying on the Cardinals' part.
—
Jon Paul Hoornstra, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Charges against one man were later dismissed for lack of probable cause.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2025
Its events are pay-what-you-can, with no one turned away for lack of funds.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Third-lowest in the nation for lack of treatment On the other hand, Arizona ranked 45 out of 47 states for lack of treatment at 29.4%.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for for lack of 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Jon Paul Hoornstra, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Charges against one man were later dismissed for lack of probable cause.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 6 Jan. 2025
Its events are pay-what-you-can, with no one turned away for lack of funds.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025
Third-lowest in the nation for lack of treatment On the other hand, Arizona ranked 45 out of 47 states for lack of treatment at 29.4%.
—Lauren De Young, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for for lack of
Dictionary Entries Near for lack of
Cite this Entry
“For lack of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20lack%20of. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share