for (the) want of
idiom
: because of not having (something) : because (something) does not exist or is not available
For want of a better name, let's call it "Operation One."
People are dying for want of medical treatment.
The project failed for the want of adequate funding.
Examples of for (the) want of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To be blunt: People in the US simply are not dying for want of a $1.50 anti-malaria pill.
—
Dylan Matthews, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
Since 2003, the Polish parliament has discussed legalizing civil unions at least five times—but each time, the proposals have foundered for want of government support.
—Marta Figlerowicz, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2019
To be encountered here, then, is the characteristically beguiling interaction of images, objects, and ideas that epitomizes and defines the artist’s—for want of a much better word—practice.
—Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
According to court documents, an additional domestic violence charge, a misdemeanor, was dismissed for want of prosecution.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024
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Dylan Matthews, Vox, 18 Nov. 2024
Since 2003, the Polish parliament has discussed legalizing civil unions at least five times—but each time, the proposals have foundered for want of government support.
—Marta Figlerowicz, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2019
To be encountered here, then, is the characteristically beguiling interaction of images, objects, and ideas that epitomizes and defines the artist’s—for want of a much better word—practice.
—Jeff Gibson, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024
According to court documents, an additional domestic violence charge, a misdemeanor, was dismissed for want of prosecution.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for for (the) want of
Dictionary Entries Near for (the) want of
Cite this Entry
“For (the) want of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20%28the%29%20want%20of. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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