scarcity
noun
scar·ci·ty
ˈsker-sə-tē 
-stē
plural scarcities
: the quality or state of being scarce
especially
: want of provisions for the support of life
Examples of scarcity in a Sentence
Scarcity of food forced the herds to move.
the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising
Recent Examples on the Web
For Jaree, that framing ignores time scarcity, food deserts, or financial strain.
—
Michelle Beadle Holder, SELF, 16 Mar. 2026
Florida lawmakers took a stand to protect consumers against harm by the data center industry Friday, passing a bill designed to ensure residents don’t pay more for electricity or face water scarcity because of the facilities.
—Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Many accused the family of creating false scarcity in order to juice the hype, but that simply wasn’t the case.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
As much as relative scarcity has nearly always worked in the league’s favor, the launch of the broadcast TV Thursday Night Football package in 2014 effectively demonstrated that too much football is never enough football.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
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Michelle Beadle Holder, SELF, 16 Mar. 2026
Florida lawmakers took a stand to protect consumers against harm by the data center industry Friday, passing a bill designed to ensure residents don’t pay more for electricity or face water scarcity because of the facilities.
—Emily L. Mahoney, Miami Herald, 13 Mar. 2026
Many accused the family of creating false scarcity in order to juice the hype, but that simply wasn’t the case.
—Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
As much as relative scarcity has nearly always worked in the league’s favor, the launch of the broadcast TV Thursday Night Football package in 2014 effectively demonstrated that too much football is never enough football.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scarcity
noun
scar·ci·ty
ˈsker-sət-ē
ˈskar-
plural scarcities
: the quality or state of being scarce : a very small supply
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