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

Etymology

Origin of overcapacity

First recorded in 1925–30; over- + capacity

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

overcapacity overcapacities

Intensifying competition in Europe and China, emerging trade barriers across multiple jurisdictions, and severe manufacturing overcapacity are forcing a pragmatic reassessment, he adds.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

It was an aging company in an aging industry in a world where global overcapacity led to its decline.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

But it almost certainly would trigger a new round of deflation in the domestic economy, which already is grappling with the collapse of real-estate prices and disinflation triggered by overcapacity in many industries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Concerns about potential data center overcapacity and hyperscaler spending slowdowns temper Innio’s long-term growth prospects.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 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

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