Scarcity
/ˈskɛɹsɪti/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe condition of something being scarce or deficient.
nounAn inadequate amount of something; a shortage.
Sentence Examples
There seems to be a scarcity of Austrian chat rooms in the Web.
The scarcity of some items in supermarkets has raised concerns about the food supply.
Water scarcity has become more common in Algeria.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of food in the region caused many families to go hungry during the winter months.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of affordable housing forced many young families to move out of the city.
Word Origin & History
Inherited from Middle English scarsite, from Old Northern French escarsete; by surface analysis, scarce + -ity.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"To understand the events of the next fifty years, then, one must understand environmental scarcity, cultural and racial clash, geographic destiny, and the transformation of war."
— 1994 February, Robert D. Kaplan, “The Coming Anarchy”, in The Atlantic:
"The crucial and intersecting challenges of scarcities, both emerging and intensifying, will consume China’s custodians over the next decade."
— 2013 September 24, Damien Ma, William Adams, “China's Next Great Challenge: Scarcity”, in The Atlantic:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ of food in the region caused many families to go hungry during the winter months.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ of affordable housing forced many young families to move out of the city.