-ˈkü-ˌnī
also lacunas
lə-ˈkü-nəz
Shirley HazzardNew Republic 
Did you know?
If you find yourself drawing a blank when it comes to the definition of lacuna, it might help to imagine drawing water instead, ideally from a lake or lagoon. Lacuna, lake and lagoon all come ultimately from lacus, the Latin word for “lake.” Latin speakers modified lacus into lacuna to form a word meaning “pit,” “gap,” or “pool.” When English speakers borrowed the term in the 17th century, they used it to refer to a figurative gap in or missing portion of something, such as information or text. (Note that lacuna comes with two plural options: the Latin lacunae \luh-KYOO-nee\ or \luh-KOO-nye\ or the anglicized lacunas \luh-KOO-nuz\.) Lagoon, meanwhile, hewed closer to the Latin lacuna, referring first to a shallow sound, channel, or pond near or connected to a larger body of water, and later to a shallow artificial pool or pond.
Synonyms
Examples of lacuna in a Sentence
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 23 Sep. 2024
Among the problems that arise from this lacuna of information is that even the administration was unable to examine the plaintiffs’ purported issues with the program.
—Ryann Liebenthal, The New Republic, 9 May 2023
The lacuna extends beyond health research.
—Amy Yee, Scientific American, 8 July 2021
Nor is that the only lacuna.
—Benjamin Nugent, Harper's Magazine, 27 Apr. 2021
See all Example Sentences for lacuna 
Dictionary Entries Near lacuna
Cite this Entry
“Lacuna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lacuna. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.
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lacuna
noun
-ˈkü-ˌnī
also lacunas
-ˈk(y)ü-nəz
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