scarcity

noun

scar·​ci·​ty ˈsker-sə-tē How to pronounce scarcity (audio)
-stē
plural scarcities
Synonyms of scarcitynext
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Monday, SpaceX amended its initial public offering to state that water conditions—including water scarcity, regulations around water, and drought—could constrain data center development. Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 4 June 2026 The new scarcity is not intelligence but the energy-intensive infrastructure required to produce and deliver it. Harvard Business Review, 4 June 2026 But there’s scarcity in terms of that information. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Long before scarcity, Japanese craftsmanship and collector-driven storytelling became ubiquitous across independent luxury eyewear JMM, as the brand is commonly called among collectors, which helped position frames more like watches, jewelry or works of design. Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 4 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for scarcity

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarcity was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcity. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

scarcity

noun
scar·​ci·​ty ˈsker-sət-ē How to pronounce scarcity (audio)
ˈskar-
plural scarcities
: the quality or state of being scarce : a very small supply

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