English Meaning & Definitions
Insufficient for the demand; occurring in small quantities or numbers.
- “Fresh water was scarce during the severe drought.”
- “Jobs were scarce in the depressed economic climate.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “scarce”.
Late Middle English: from Old French escars, from medieval Latin excarpsus 'plucked out', past participle of excarpere, from ex- 'out' + carpere 'pluck'.
Think of a 'car' that is very hard to find ('scarce').
Frequently Asked Questions About “scarce”
1. What is the meaning of “scarce” in English?
In English, scarce (adjective) is defined as: “Insufficient for the demand; occurring in small quantities or numbers.”.
2. How do you use “scarce” in a sentence?
“Fresh water was scarce during the severe drought.”
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “scarce”?
Late Middle English: from Old French escars, from medieval Latin excarpsus 'plucked out', past participle of excarpere, from ex- 'out' + carpere 'pluck'.
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