shortage

noun

short·​age ˈshȯr-tij How to pronounce shortage (audio)

Examples of shortage in a Sentence

there was a troubling shortage of supplies for the troops overseas this year
Recent Examples on the Web The country's military is facing a potentially catastrophic shortage of ammunition and air defenses that could turn the tide of the war and give Russian President Vladimir Putin an advantage, according to an internal U.S. estimate. Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 16 Mar. 2024 During the 2018 to 2020 years of Trump’s presidency, the country’s housing shortage surged 52% to 3.8 million units, according to the mortgage company Freddie Mac. Josh Boak, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2024 Like other cities nationwide, Wauwatosa is facing an affordable housing shortage, and 92% of its workforce doesn't reside in the city, according to the 2023 Housing Study and Needs Assessment. Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2024 Dead The idea to bring volunteer chaplains into schools as a solution to the state’s counselor shortage did not make it out of the Statehouse this year. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Mar. 2024 Portugal – one of the poorest countries in Western Europe – is suffering a housing crisis, with soaring rents and shortages of affordable homes, as well as a struggling health care system. Vasco Cotovio, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 But since the highest-impact policies revolve around increasing the pace of building to backfill the decades-old housing shortage that is the root of America’s housing woes, there is still plenty of overlap. Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2024 In the meantime, many employers are still contending with labor shortages. Paul Wiseman, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 Child care advocates have voiced concerns about making providers foot the bill, as many are already facing staffing shortages, with much of the workforce struggling to earn a livable wage. Emily Alvarenga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shortage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shortage was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near shortage

Cite this Entry

“Shortage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shortage. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shortage

noun
short·​age ˈshȯrt-ij How to pronounce shortage (audio)
: a lack in the amount needed : deficit
a shortage of cash
a gasoline shortage

More from Merriam-Webster on shortage

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