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
Capitalism and colonialism thrive on stories of scarcity.
—
Colin Bedell, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
According to the National Assn. of Home Builders, scarcity and an acute, sustained rise in building material costs — for items as diverse as softwood lumber and electricity distribution transformers — are driving up the cost to construct homes and harming housing affordability.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
For decades, scientists have presumed that Earth’s atmosphere alone explains the scarcity of carbonaceous meteorites, but our work indicates that much of the removal occurs beforehand in space.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
In a season obsessed with the impact of money on a person’s soul, whether scarcity can be as much a motivator as abundance, and the dilemma of what happens after giving one’s brother a hand job, Rick’s story was perhaps the most straightforward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Colin Bedell, Them., 18 Apr. 2025
According to the National Assn. of Home Builders, scarcity and an acute, sustained rise in building material costs — for items as diverse as softwood lumber and electricity distribution transformers — are driving up the cost to construct homes and harming housing affordability.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
For decades, scientists have presumed that Earth’s atmosphere alone explains the scarcity of carbonaceous meteorites, but our work indicates that much of the removal occurs beforehand in space.
—Patrick M. Shober, The Conversation, 14 Apr. 2025
In a season obsessed with the impact of money on a person’s soul, whether scarcity can be as much a motivator as abundance, and the dilemma of what happens after giving one’s brother a hand job, Rick’s story was perhaps the most straightforward.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scarcity
Cite this Entry
“Scarcity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scarcity. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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