Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

scarcity

/ˈskɛɹsɪti/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English

Syllables: scarci-ty
IPA: /ˈskɛɹsɪti/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The condition of something being scarce or deficient.

Uncountable

noun

An inadequate amount of something; a shortage.

Countable

Example Sentences

"Praise […] owes its value only to its scarcity."
"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."
"a scarcity of grain"
"The crucial and intersecting challenges of scarcities, both emerging and intensifying, will consume China’s custodians over the next decade."

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English scarsite, from Old Northern French escarsete; by surface analysis, scarce + -ity.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: scarsite, escarsete

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈskɛɹsɪti/
British English: /ˈskɛəsɪti/

Usage

Inflected Forms

scarcities (plural)

Derived Forms

postscarcity

Phrases

artificial scarcity digital scarcity root of scarcity

Synonyms

infrequency rareness rarity dearth deficiency lack penury want

Antonyms

frequency commonness abundance copiousness

Questions

How do you pronounce scarcity?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈskɛɹsɪti/.
What does scarcity mean?: The condition of something being scarce or deficient.
Where does scarcity come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce scarcity

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “scarcity”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈskɛɹsɪti/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “scarcity”.
Repeat and practice — Say “scarcity” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.