ClimateAugust 17, 2026
underinvestment
UN-der-in-vest-ment
Definition
The failure to spend enough money on maintaining, upgrading, or developing equipment, buildings, or infrastructure to keep them functioning properly.
Etymology
Derived from the prefix 'under-' (meaning below or insufficient) added to 'investment,' which comes from the Latin 'investire,' meaning to clothe or dress in robes, metaphorically representing the act of covering something with capital or resources.
In the news
The article uses 'underinvestment' to explain why the NHS is struggling with failing facilities, noting that decades of insufficient funding have left hospitals poorly equipped to handle modern climate-related heat challenges.
‘Horrific’ conditions grip U.K. hospitals unprepared for heat
Read the full article ↗The Japan Times