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

Builders face labor scarcity, tariff volatility, regulatory burden, and margin compression. —Brad Hunter, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

This can result in a scarcity of affordable housing, pushing potential homeowners out of the market or into less desirable areas. —Sara B. Hansen, Denver Post, 23 Jan. 2026

Solving the data gap One of the biggest challenges in robotics remains training data scarcity. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 22 Jan. 2026

Quickly melting snow has a negative impact on the world’s water sources, causing water scarcity, which contributes to negative global warming trends. —Laura Kiniry, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 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