noun
-
inadequate supply; dearth; paucity
-
rarity or infrequent occurrence
Other Word Forms
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.
Scarcity works only when customers believe that tight supply is the result of genuine capacity constraints, says David Dubois, associate professor of marketing at the business school Insead.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
"Scarcity in Test cricket is our friend, not our foe," said Greenberg.
From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025
He imagined a future in which “resources and livable conditions are scarce. Scarcity is the rule, and requires a degree of self-interest. Population problems are beyond solution by migration. No habitable unclaimed lands remain.”
From Salon • Nov. 14, 2024
Scarcity of nutritious food in childhood appears to prime people metabolically for obesity in adulthood.
From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023
Scarcity of deer in some areas of Texas is attributed to the screw-worm.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
