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
Rolling blackouts, water scarcity, and economic barriers strip away these options.
—
Elfatih Eltahir, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Mamdani clearly knows how to communicate ebullience, a talent that is all the more potent for its scarcity in current political life.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
It’s well known that climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels, is throwing the global water cycle off balance and causing scarcity.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Devotees say the value comes from the scarcity, as bitcoin’s algorithm caps the supply at 21 million digital coins.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
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Elfatih Eltahir, Time, 24 Sep. 2025
Mamdani clearly knows how to communicate ebullience, a talent that is all the more potent for its scarcity in current political life.
—Bill McKibben, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2025
It’s well known that climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels, is throwing the global water cycle off balance and causing scarcity.
—Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025
Devotees say the value comes from the scarcity, as bitcoin’s algorithm caps the supply at 21 million digital coins.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcity. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
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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