overcapacity

noun

over·​ca·​pac·​i·​ty ˌō-vər-kə-ˈpa-sə-tē 

-ˈpa-stē

: excessive capacity for production or services in relation to demand

Examples of overcapacity in a Sentence

The airlines are lowering their prices because of an overcapacity of seats.

Recent Examples on the Web

After the recent rescue, the San Jacinto Valley campus reached 300% overcapacity. —Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026

Now, with the old growth model challenged by protectionism, overcapacity and a property slump, there are signs Beijing may be about to make an historic shift. —Malcolm Scott, Bloomberg, 4 Mar. 2026

Merz noted that the trade deficit had increased fourfold since 2020, and said this was largely due to overcapacity. —Reuters, NBC news, 26 Feb. 2026

The International Monetary Fund called on China to halve its industrial subsidies, as concerns mount about manufacturing overcapacity in the world’s second-biggest economy. —Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 19 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overcapacity

• audacity
• capacity
• loquacity
• mendacity
• opacity
• pugnacity
• rapacity
• sagacity
• tenacity
• veracity
• vivacity
• voracity