noun
-
inadequate supply; dearth; paucity
-
rarity or infrequent occurrence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of scarcity
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English scarsete(e), from Old North French escarsete; equivalent to scarce + -ity
Compare meaning
How does scarcity compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If there is a cupcake scarcity in your kitchen, there are hardly any cupcakes around, and you're not sure that any will be appearing any time soon. The noun scarcity comes from the adjective scarce, which means "restricted in quantity or availability." So scarcity is the state of there being very little of something. During a war when shipping gets interrupted, there might be a fuel scarcity, pushing people to carpool or ride bikes instead of driving. If you're in a room full of super boring people, you might say there's a scarcity of good conversation.
Vocabulary lists containing scarcity
100 Words Every Middle Schooler Should Know
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Holes
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Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“It has a lot of the same benefits of television. It’s got reach, quality inventory, scarcity, cultural relevance. It just doesn’t have the same attention span,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026
A Morgan Stanley analyst team led by Shawn Kim wrote that surging memory prices and supply scarcity are becoming a risk across the digital economy.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
Prices for things like lawn care, pet care and laundry services have gone up more than usual due to a scarcity of labor and continued high demand.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
But those funds are about to lose “whatever scarcity value” they once had, one expert warns.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
And in doubtful times he will always find a scarcity of men in whom he can trust.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
