shortage

[ shawr-tij ]
/ ˈʃɔr tɪdʒ /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR shortage ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a deficiency in quantity: a shortage of cash.
the amount of such deficiency.

Origin of shortage

First recorded in 1865–70; short + -age

OTHER WORDS FROM shortage

pre·short·age, noun

Words nearby shortage

short-term memory, short-termism, short-timer, short-waisted, short-winded, shortage, shortboard, shortbread, shortcake, shortchange, shortcoming

Words related to shortage

weakness, lack, dearth, failure, poverty, deficit, scarcity, shortfall, lapse, inadequacy, paucity, scantiness, insufficiency, curtailment, want, pinch, leanness, defalcation, underage

Example sentences from the Web for shortage

British Dictionary definitions for shortage

shortage
/ (ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ) /

noun

a deficiency or lack in the amount needed, expected, or due; deficit

Cultural definitions for shortage

shortage

A condition that exists when demand exceeds supply because of a lack of equilibrium in a market. If a price is artificially low, buyers want to buy more of a good than sellers are willing to sell. (Compare surplus.)