gap
noun [ C, usually singular ]
uk/ɡæp/ usa difference between two numbers, amounts, or levels:
Forecasters are predicting a budget gap of nearly $17 bn next year.
There is a $40 million shortfall in emergency aid, and the EU is increasing its donation to close the gap.
something that is missing from a situation:
close/fill gaps in sth The Bill aims to close gaps in existing law on fraud.
growing/widening gap New federal projections for job openings this decade show a growing gap in the training and education required for workers.
a period in which something does not happen:
Most see a gap between finishing education and starting work as a positive thing.
a difference between people or their situations:
gap between sth and sth The gap between rich and poor is growing all the time.
close/fill/widen the gap Excessive bonuses have only served to widen the gap between executives and other staff.
We have nearly closed the math and science gender gap in education for girls.
See also
trade gap
wage gap
a gap in the market
an opportunity to sell a product or service because a need or demand for it exists but no one is supplying it:
Spotting a gap in the market, she decided to set up a clothes storage service.
bridge a/the gap
to make the difference between two things smaller:
Financing was slow to come in and the city took out a bond to bridge the gap.
bridge the gap between sth and sth The program helps working families bridge the gap between income and rent.