noun
-
inadequate supply; dearth; paucity
-
rarity or infrequent occurrence
Other Word Forms
- nonscarcity noun
Etymology
Origin of scarcity
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English scarsete(e), from Old North French escarsete; equivalent to scarce + -ity
Compare meaning
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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.
For Ukraine, the potential scarcity of fuel and surge in prices caused by the war on Iran is a worry: its own frontline troops need large amounts of diesel for their tanks and vehicles.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
At the same time, funding for AI infrastructure is starting to slow and investors are starting to worry about a scarcity of capital.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
The impact for the U.S. will be felt mainly through higher prices and “dislocations” — changes or disruptions — in refined product markets, instead of through outright scarcity, they said.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
Disruptions to fertiliser supplies caused by the Middle East war pose a double threat to global food security through scarcity and high prices, a top World Trade Organization official has warned.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
He believed that the extreme scarcity of just about everything in Haiti, from food to clean water to clothes to shelter, created significant jealousies of anyone who had more than someone else.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
