also: みたざる
less than; not reaching; below
Used in the pattern 〜に満たない to indicate that a quantity, amount, or degree falls short of a certain standard or number. Often appears in formal or written contexts.
参加者は100人に満たなかった。
The number of participants was less than 100.
彼の収入は平均に満たない。
His income is below average.
Archaic or literary negative form of 満つ; rarely used in modern Japanese except in fixed expressions or classical contexts.
From the negative form of the verb 満つ (みつ, 'to be full, to reach a certain amount'), which is archaic in modern Japanese. The expression 満たない is now a fixed phrase meaning 'less than' or 'not reaching'.