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

Synonyms of scarcity

• shortage
• lack

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

In addition to this scarcity, helium-3 dilution refrigerators are complex and bulky, consuming significant lab space and infrastructure. —Etiido Uko march 23, New Atlas, 23 Mar. 2026

Since 1959, when Fidel Castro seized power, Cubans on the island have endured navigating a system defined by scarcity, surveillance and state control. —Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026

Gas prices soar as the result of government restrictions and taxes that produce artificial scarcity. —Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 20 Mar. 2026

The journalist Ezra Klein has written a book of the same name, Abundance, arguing that governments have a key role to play in ending the age of scarcity. —Kamal Ahmed, Fortune, 19 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scarcity

noun

scar·​ci·​ty ˈsker-sət-ē 

ˈskar-

plural scarcities

: the quality or state of being scarce : a very small supply