Spanish Conversation · Level 79
60 words
Spanish word
escasez
Pronunciation
IPA/eskaˈseθ/
Meaning
- feminine nounshortage
Example
Hay escasez de agua en la región.
There is a shortage of water in the region.
More examples
Debido a la sequía, se declaró escasez de alimentos en varias provincias.
Due to the drought, a food shortage was declared in several provinces.
Core concept
Overall scarcity of supplies or resources within a place or period.
Common phrases
escasez de agua
water shortage
escasez de alimentos
food shortage
escasez de recursos
resource shortage
Similar words
falta: Lack or absence of a specific thing or needed item in a situation.
carencia: Lack of basic necessities or essential provisions for normal life.
Definition in Spanish
Expresa la falta o insuficiencia general de algo, sobre todo de recursos o bienes en una zona o periodo determinado.
Word origin
Formed by adding the suffix -ez to escaso 'scant', with escaso coming from medieval Latin/Romance roots meaning 'few', yielding an abstract noun for shortage.
Usage tips
- Escasez is normally uncountable and is modified by adjectives (gran escasez, escasez severa) rather than being pluralized.
Other meanings
- scarcitynoun
- lacknoun
Opposites
- abundanciaabundancenoun
- suficienciasufficiencynoun