scarcity

noun

scar·​ci·​ty ˈsker-sə-tē 

-stē

plural scarcities

: the quality or state of being scarce

especially : want of provisions for the support of life

Synonyms

• crunch
• dearth
• deficiency
• deficit
• drought
• drouth
• failure
• famine
• inadequacy
• inadequateness
• insufficiency
• lack
• lacuna
• paucity
• pinch
• poverty
• scantiness
• scarceness
• shortage
• undersupply
• want

Examples of scarcity in a Sentence

Scarcity of food forced the herds to move.

the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising

Recent Examples on the Web

California is also doing its part to contribute to egg scarcity. —Will Swaim, National Review, 18 Mar. 2025

My final eggless contribution is this sassy chocolate acorn squash mousse for an elegant and easy treat that’s suitable (and delightful) for both Passover, Easter, along with our sad period of egg scarcity and beyond. —Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025

Traditional approaches, such as whole pancreas transplantation and pancreatic islet transplantation, have shown efficacy but are limited by high costs, the scarcity of donor organs, and the invasive nature of the procedures. —Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Ray takes a moment to soak in the warm, comfortable house and bustling family breakfast table and scarfs down a couple of stray pieces of bacon — scarcity mindset of the all-American lone wolf. —Andy Andersen, Vulture, 14 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scarcity

noun

scar·​ci·​ty ˈsker-sət-ē 

ˈskar-

plural scarcities

: the quality or state of being scarce : a very small supply