scarcity

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈskɛrsɪtiː/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The state of being scarce or in short supply; a deficiency in quantity or availability compared to demand.; In economics, the fundamental condition that resources are limited while human wants are unlimited, requiring choices about allocation.; An instance or occurrence of something being rare or hard to find.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable / uncountable Plural: scarcities

Collocations

scarcity of resourceswater scarcityscarcity mindsetartificial scarcityscarcity principlein times of scarcity

Derivatives

scarcescarcelyscarceness

Synonyms

shortagedearthlackdeficiencyinsufficiencyrarity

Antonyms

abundanceplentysurplusexcess

Commonly confused

shortage
EN: 'Scarcity' refers to an inherent or structural condition of being rare or insufficient, while 'shortage' typically implies a temporary or situational lack relative to demand.
rarity
EN: 'Rarity' emphasizes how uncommon something is, while 'scarcity' emphasizes the insufficiency of supply relative to need or demand.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember 'scarcity' has only one 'r' (not 'scarrcity') and ends in '-ity' (not '-ety' or '-aty').

💬 Examples

  1. The scarcity of clean water is a growing concern in many regions.

  2. Scarcity is the central problem that economics seeks to address.

  3. There is a scarcity of qualified teachers in rural areas.