availability

American  

[uh-vey-luh-bil-i-tee] / əˌveɪ ləˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely availableness

noun

1. the fact or quality of being close at hand and ready for use.

   Children learn about the importance of reading and writing through the availability of a wide variety of books.

2. the fact or quality of being readily obtainable.

   Prices are subject to availability of the product at the time of ordering.

3. freedom or willingness to do something.

   League members selected as reserve players shall confirm their availability by signing the list on the notice board.

4. the fact or condition of not being involved in a romantic or sexual relationship and therefore being potentially open to one.

   Overall, he says, a man is more attracted to a woman by the signs of her availability than by her physical appearance.

---

Other Word Forms

• interavailability noun
• nonavailability noun
• unavailability noun
• unavailableness noun

Etymology

Origin of availability

avail(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )

Explanation

Something with availability is easy to get or to access. If you work at an ice cream shop, the availability of ice cream might make it hard to stick to a diet. The noun availability indicates that something is easily obtainable and ready for use. If you are thinking about renting a certain apartment, you might want to ask about the availability of parking spaces in the neighborhood before you sign a lease. You can use availability and accessibility almost interchangeably, as with this sentence: "The accessibility of the Internet has increased the availability of information."

Example Sentences

So while driving Indy cars 177 miles in a circle may seem wasteful during a gas crunch, Sunday’s race will have a negligible affect on the price and availability of fuel at service stations.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

The point is that there’s plenty of money availability on the way for the economy to continue to grow—and that can keep corporate earnings and the stock market moving higher.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

That approach, he said, ran in contrast to the one it took in years past, where it limited availability for its more fashionable products “to maintain an aura of coolness around the brand.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

The former increased the availability of mortgages with 5% deposits.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

At Base Camp he pored over reams of computer printouts detailing logistical minutiae: menus, spare parts, tools, medicines, communications hardware, load-hauling schedules, yak availability.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

Related Words

• opportunity
• show
• time