scarcity
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the general state of not having enough of something.
the abstract condition of being scarce or deficient in supply. Uncountable in this sense.
Simple“The scarcity of clean water is a major problem in many parts of the world.”
In context“Economists often define their field as the study of how society manages its resources in the face of absolute scarcity.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a specific time or situation when there is not enough of a particular thing.
a specific instance or period of inadequate supply. Countable in this sense.
Simple“Food scarcities during the war led to strict rationing for every family.”
In context“The sudden scarcity of semiconductor chips forced several major car manufacturers to halt production for months.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“Both drought and water scarcity can lead to hosepipe bans, if they are not already in place.”
“Photograph: Trunk Records Given the scarcity of these wrappers and the lack of information about them, tracing down their designers is a problem.”
Inherited from Middle English scarsite, from Old Northern French escarsete; by surface analysis, scarce + -ity.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.