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
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
This most recent crop of British imports may be explained by the newfound scarcity in the American news business.
—
Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Chelsea Ridley, director of community engagement at Open Books and co-founder of the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, chalks up the negativity to resource scarcity.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2024
Watch on As Payraudeau explains, the Valley of the Kings was plundered numerous times during ancient Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, an era of economic and social crises that led to scarcity, forcing even royals to reuse funerary objects created for their predecessors.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024
Perhaps the scarcity of classic Rolex steel professional models on the vintage market has inspired Rolex’s current practice of shorting demand for the modern versions.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for scarcity 
Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 8 June 2024
Chelsea Ridley, director of community engagement at Open Books and co-founder of the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot, chalks up the negativity to resource scarcity.
—Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, 31 May 2024
Watch on As Payraudeau explains, the Valley of the Kings was plundered numerous times during ancient Egypt’s 19th Dynasty, an era of economic and social crises that led to scarcity, forcing even royals to reuse funerary objects created for their predecessors.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 May 2024
Perhaps the scarcity of classic Rolex steel professional models on the vintage market has inspired Rolex’s current practice of shorting demand for the modern versions.
—Allen Farmelo, Robb Report, 11 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for scarcity
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scarcity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to scarcity
Dictionary Entries Near scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcity. Accessed 20 Jun. 2024.
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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share