as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of scarcity
Due to the dominance of the NFL in general and the scarcity of live, broad-audience showcases for their brand messages, advertisers pushed pricing to a new record.
—
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
The Superdome is old but well-situated, but the scarcity of hotel rooms -- one-fourth the number in Vegas last year — has led to price-gouging with some rooms as high as $15,000 a night.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
The evidence is far from definitive; the intuitive counterargument is that having ample access to technical and financial resources facilitates more experimentation than conditions of scarcity.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Because of the innovations that have occurred in terms of technology and skill scarcity, and the war for talent that McKinsey wrote about in the 1990s, talent has always been top of mind for leaders.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Dade Hayes, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
The Superdome is old but well-situated, but the scarcity of hotel rooms -- one-fourth the number in Vegas last year — has led to price-gouging with some rooms as high as $15,000 a night.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025
The evidence is far from definitive; the intuitive counterargument is that having ample access to technical and financial resources facilitates more experimentation than conditions of scarcity.
—John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2025
Because of the innovations that have occurred in terms of technology and skill scarcity, and the war for talent that McKinsey wrote about in the 1990s, talent has always been top of mind for leaders.
—Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Articles Related to scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarcity. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share