overcapacity

American  

[oh-ver-kuh-pas-i-tee] / ˌoʊ vər kəˈpæs ɪ ti /

noun

• overcapacities
  plural

1. capacity beyond what is normal, allowed, or desirable.

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overcapacity British  

/ ˌəʊvəkəˈpæsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the situation in which an industry or business cannot sell as much as it produces

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• overcapacities
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of overcapacity

First recorded in 1925–30; over- + capacity

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overcapacity overcapacities

Europe has been seeking to rein in its growing trade surplus with China, pressing Beijing to address its industrial overcapacity, particularly in the chemicals and automotive sectors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Domanski's remarks come as US investigations into overcapacity target 16 trading partners including China, the EU, Japan and India.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Ford is far from the only car company that sees defence as a growth industry - and one that can utilise the growing overcapacity at car plants across Europe.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

China denies that it has a problem with overcapacity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

Unlike other forms of Internet overinvestment, it was permanent: Once the fiber cables were laid, no one was going to dig them up and thereby eliminate the overcapacity.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

“We see overcapacities in China, especially in the chemical sector, which goes to global markets and puts pressure on Europe.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

This would help to build a "defensive mechanism against subsidized steel, against global overcapacities," he added.

From Barron's ● Apr. 24, 2026

"Efforts to slash overcapacities in old-fashioned industries, as well as the housing market downturn ... will continue to weigh on overall economic activity," said Nikolaus Keis at UniCredit.

From Reuters ● Jul. 1, 2014

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