overcapacity

noun

over·​ca·​pac·​i·​ty ˌō-vər-kə-ˈpa-sə-tē 

-ˈpa-stē

: excessive capacity for production or services in relation to demand

Examples of overcapacity in a Sentence

The airlines are lowering their prices because of an overcapacity of seats.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2024, China experienced a complex situation with AI chips: overcapacity in some areas, while simultaneously facing shortages in high-quality compute needed for advanced AI development. —Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 8 Mar. 2025

That includes significant Chinese investments in the United States; substantial purchases of U.S. crops, airplanes and other goods; and potentially some arrangement to address Chinese manufacturing overcapacity. —Ana Swanson, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

More ambitiously, members could exempt one another from tariffs or other actions specifically designed to counter Chinese overcapacity. —Geoffrey Gertz, Foreign Affairs, 6 Feb. 2025

Last year, despite worries about overcapacity, Congress approved an expansion to Reagan airport, adding five more long-haul daily flights. —Joann Muller, Axios, 31 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for overcapacity

• audacity
• capacity
• loquacity
• mendacity
• opacity
• pugnacity
• rapacity
• sagacity
• tenacity
• veracity
• vivacity
• voracity