as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising
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Recent Examples of scarcity
Water scarcity, high temperatures, soil quality, and more can all affect the health of avocado plants, and as a result, the size of the fruit.
—
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2025
Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide.
—Sophia Tareen, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Optimists like Marc Andreessen, co-creator of the Mosaic browser, insist that artificial intelligence will solve our most pressing problems—curing disease, eliminating scarcity, even boosting creativity to superhuman levels.
—Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The cash is aimed at countering a scarcity of mental health workers in California and across the country.
—Don Thompson, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 May 2025
Indiana resumed executions in December after a yearslong hiatus due to a scarcity of lethal injection drugs nationwide.
—Sophia Tareen, Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2025
Optimists like Marc Andreessen, co-creator of the Mosaic browser, insist that artificial intelligence will solve our most pressing problems—curing disease, eliminating scarcity, even boosting creativity to superhuman levels.
—Robert B. Tucker, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025
The cash is aimed at countering a scarcity of mental health workers in California and across the country.
—Don Thompson, Sacbee.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scarcity
Noun
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At the time Volkswagen was the first automaker to warn of a global chip shortage.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2025
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The rights of property owners aren’t always given the appropriate amount of respect, especially in a time of housing shortages and rising rents.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Brandon Bell/Getty Images What To Know A chronic lack of inventory, partially due to the fact that homebuilders in the U.S. significantly underbuilt in the years following the 2008 crash, contributed to bringing U.S. home prices through the roof in recent years.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
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In American literature, this is perhaps a relatively recent phenomenon too, one that could be attributed to a lack of global (and local) educational foundation.—
Aram Mrjoian
June 6,
Literary Hub,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarcity. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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