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
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
What To Know The Colorado River Compact, originally crafted a century ago, is expiring as the region has been confronting the crises of prolonged water scarcity.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Robust backlogs can evaporate as mindsets move from abundance to scarcity.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
These bills support progressive legislators’ priorities: increasing access, reducing exclusion and rebalancing power away from those profiting from scarcity.
—David Bonaccorsi, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
Resource scarcity often forces governments to delegate state-building responsibilities, such as developing infrastructure, to private actors.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Robust backlogs can evaporate as mindsets move from abundance to scarcity.
—Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
These bills support progressive legislators’ priorities: increasing access, reducing exclusion and rebalancing power away from those profiting from scarcity.
—David Bonaccorsi, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2025
Resource scarcity often forces governments to delegate state-building responsibilities, such as developing infrastructure, to private actors.
—Foreign Affairs, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarcity. Accessed 27 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scarcity
noun
scar·ci·ty
ˈsker-sət-ē
ˈskar-
plural scarcities
: the quality or state of being scarce : a very small supply
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