underinvest
Allocate insufficient capital
To underinvest is to invest less than is needed or prudent—in infrastructure, education, equipment, or any resource requiring capital.
The term often appears in economic and policy discussions: The country has chronically underinvested in public transit.
Companies may underinvest in research when focused on short-term profits.
The noun is underinvestment.
Willful lack of attention
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- inattentionLack of focus
- omissionFailure to include
dereliction · abandonment · indifference · complacency · underfunding · deprioritize · shortchange · starve
Wealth used for investment
- allocationDistribution of shares
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- diversificationExpanding into varied areas
- assetsOwned items of value
equities · bonds · funds · stocks · securities · liquidity · returns · yield
Amount still owed
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- contractionReduction in size
- downturnEconomic decline period
underdevelopment · inequality · poverty · shortage · scarcity · cutbacks · budget · spending
State of being unprotected
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
- precariousnessState of uncertain stability
jeopardy · hazard · threat · danger · shortfall · gap · weakness · fragility
Paved paths for vehicles
- bridgesStructures spanning obstacles
- schoolsPlaces of learning
- hospitalsInstitutions treating the sick
- utilitiesEssential infrastructure services
transit · broadband · maintenance · repair · upgrade · modernization · facilities · public works
Absence of flow or progress
- underdevelopmentInadequate economic or social progress
- untappedNot yet utilized
- latentPresent but inactive
- potentialLatent capacity for development
nascent · dormant · undeveloped · lagging · arrested · atrophy · decline · deterioration
disregard
Willful lack of attention
- overlookMiss or commanding view
- negligenceFailure to exercise care
- inattentionLack of focus
omission · dereliction · abandonment · indifference · complacency · underfunding · deprioritize · shortchange · starve · defer
capital
Wealth used for investment
- allocationDistribution of shares
- portfolioCollected works or assets
- diversificationExpanding into varied areas
assets · equities · bonds · funds · stocks · securities · liquidity · returns · yield · dividends
deficit
Amount still owed
- recessionProlonged economic decline
- austerityEnforced economic stringency
- contractionReduction in size
downturn · underdevelopment · inequality · poverty · shortage · scarcity · cutbacks · budget · spending · fiscal
exposure
State of being unprotected
- vulnerabilityOpenness to harm
- liabilityLegal or financial obligation
- instabilityTendency toward unpredictable change
precariousness · jeopardy · hazard · threat · danger · shortfall · gap · weakness · fragility · uncertainty
roads
Paved paths for vehicles
- bridgesStructures spanning obstacles
- schoolsPlaces of learning
- hospitalsInstitutions treating the sick
utilities · transit · broadband · maintenance · repair · upgrade · modernization · facilities · public works · grid
stagnation
Absence of flow or progress
- underdevelopmentInadequate economic or social progress
- untappedNot yet utilized
- latentPresent but inactive
potential · nascent · dormant · undeveloped · lagging · arrested · atrophy · decline · deterioration · erosion
underinvestoverinvest
Allocate excessive capital
overspend · overcommit · overcapitalize · overfund · splurge
underinvests, underinvestment, underinvested, underinvesting