oversupply

American  

[oh-ver-suh-plahy, oh-ver-suh-plahy] / ˈoʊ vər səˌplaɪ, ˌoʊ vər səˈplaɪ /

noun

plural

oversupplies

1. an excessive supply.

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verb (used with object)

oversupplied, oversupplying

1. to supply in excess.

oversupply British  

/ ˈəʊvəˌsəplaɪ /

noun

1. the supply of too much or too many

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verb

1. (tr) to supply too much (material, etc) or too many (goods, people, etc)

Etymology

Origin of oversupply

First recorded in 1825–35; over- + supply ¹

Example Sentences

The companies are subject to the whims of the government and have a habit of overproducing, leading to oversupply and falling profits.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Downtown has suffered from an oversupply of office space since a building spree in the 1980s and early 1990s.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The memory market is historically cyclical, and some on Wall Street seem spooked by awareness of past cycles in which oversupply eroded industry profits.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Since then, the market has struggled with oversupply and weaker demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

In some sections there is an oversupply of such labor; in other sections a shortage.

From Negro Migration during the War by Scott, Emmett J. (Emmett Jay)

Related Words

• glut