Word
shortage
Phoneticsshort·age
US/ˈʃɔɹtədʒ/
UK/ʃˈɔːtɪdʒ/
Definition
n. a situation where there is not enough of something that people need. You use this when the supply of things like food, water, or workers is too low.
n. a state in which the quantity available of a specific resource or commodity is insufficient to meet demand. Often used in economic or logistical contexts to describe a deficit in supply.
Examples
“The city is facing a serious water shortage this summer.”
“A sudden shortage of skilled nursing staff has forced the local hospital to delay several non-urgent surgeries.”
“Economists warn that the prolonged semiconductor shortage could stifle innovation across the automotive sector and lead to significant price hikes for consumers.”
Examples
simple
“The city is facing a serious water shortage this summer.”
contextual
“A sudden shortage of skilled nursing staff has forced the local hospital to delay several non-urgent surgeries.”
complex
“Economists warn that the prolonged semiconductor shortage could stifle innovation across the automotive sector and lead to significant price hikes for consumers.”
Usage
Commonly followed by the preposition 'of' to specify the missing resource.
Pitfall
a shortage about food
a shortage of food
The noun shortage takes the preposition 'of' to indicate what is lacking.
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“And for some in the UK, it was a race against time to find a pair of eye-protecting eclipse glasses as shortages grew.” “But there are other factors that determine whether dry conditions lead to water shortages, including how we use water.” Etymology
From short + -age.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Domain
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/shortage