Shortfall/ˈʃɔːrtfɔːl/ Definition 1 of 1Pro Tip 1/3Budget Context Often used in financial contexts to indicate a lack of funds or resources. The charity faced a severe shortfall in donations this year. Pro Tip 2/3Expectations Gap Implies a difference between expected results and actual outcomes. The team encountered a shortfall in their sales targets for the quarter. Pro Tip 3/3Resource Insufficiency Used to describe when physical resources, like food or water, are not enough. A drought led to a significant shortfall in the grain harvest.