as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scarcity
One aspect that didn’t change was the scarcity of parking near the stadium.
—
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025
According to the lead researcher Ernestine Lonpi Tipi, that period coincided with drought and the gradual degradation of forests, and subsequent scarcity of bushmeat.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
In the age of critical mineral scarcity and Artic competition, all of this is useful if not necessary.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In fact, the water demands of AI infrastructure present growing concerns, particularly where datacenter facilities are co-located in regions already facing scarcity.
—Michaela Rychetska, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2025
According to the lead researcher Ernestine Lonpi Tipi, that period coincided with drought and the gradual degradation of forests, and subsequent scarcity of bushmeat.
—Emmet Livingstone, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
In the age of critical mineral scarcity and Artic competition, all of this is useful if not necessary.
—Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
In fact, the water demands of AI infrastructure present growing concerns, particularly where datacenter facilities are co-located in regions already facing scarcity.
—Michaela Rychetska, JSTOR Daily, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarcity
Noun
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Yes, constant strikes on Russia’s refinery infrastructure have caused possible shortages of gas, and another Ukrainian drone hit a Gazprom refinery for the second time in a week Tuesday night, 1,400 km (870 miles) inside Russia.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Sep. 2025
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Multiple staff members interviewed as part of that investigation reported concerns about the impact of staffing shortages on the quality of care at the facility.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As the clock ticks, the lack of urgency in the nation's capital to keep the government's lights on stands in stark contrast to the consequences a shutdown may have for many Americans.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
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Stoner says that reductions in STI services at the state and local levels, as well as social and economic conditions such as poverty and lack of health insurance, have likely contributed to rising rates of syphilis, which in turn led to increasing rates of congenital syphilis.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
26 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarcity. Accessed 1 Oct. 2025.
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