Meaning & use
lack transparency
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to not be open and easy to understand, especially about decisions or money
Grammar: Used with a subject that is an organization, system, or process: 'The committee lacks transparency.'
Patterns
- something lacks transparency
- something lacks transparency about something
Many voters feel the government lacks transparency about how public money is spent.
The company was criticized because its hiring process lacked transparency.
If the review lacks transparency, people will not trust the final decision.
Common combinations
- lack transparency about
- The agency lacks transparency about its safety inspections.
- increasingly lack transparency
- Online platforms increasingly lack transparency in how they rank content.
- lack transparency in
- The bank lacked transparency in its fee structure.
- be seen to lack transparency
- The panel was seen to lack transparency after meeting behind closed doors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be opaque
- This means hard to understand and is often used for systems or language, while 'lack transparency' focuses on not being open about information.
- be secretive
- This suggests deliberately hiding things, which is stronger and more personal than simply not being transparent.
Opposites
Word family
- transparency noun
- the quality of being open and easy to understand
- transparent adjective
- open and easy to understand
- lack verb
- to not have something
Commonly confused: lack transparency or lack of transparency?
lack transparency vs lack of transparency
'Lack of transparency' is a noun phrase: 'There is a lack of transparency.' 'Lack transparency' is a verb phrase: 'They lack transparency.'
Practice
The report says the police force _______ transparency about its use of surveillance.
Choose one answer.
'Lacks' is the correct third-person singular verb form. 'Lacks of' is wrong because 'lack' as a verb does not take 'of'; 'is lacking of' is also wrong for the same reason. 'Lack' would be used with a plural subject, e.g. 'They lack transparency.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lack transparency”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.