scarsità
/skar.siˈta/feminine
The English word scarcity is translated into Italian as scarsità.
scarsità refers to an inadequate amount of something or a shortage. You can use the phrase Grande scarsità to mean great scarcity, or Eccessiva rarità to express excessive rarity.
Meaning: an inadequate amount of something, a shortage (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /skar.siˈta/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While scarsità describes a shortage, the adjective scarso is often used in Italy to describe someone who is untalented or poor at a particular skill, such as playing a sport.
- While scarsità refers to a general shortage, Italians use the word carestia specifically when referring to a scarcity of food that leads to famine.
- If you describe a person as having scarsità di mezzi, it is a polite way of saying they are poor or lack the necessary tools to succeed.
Examples in context
- La scarsità di acqua potabile nella regione è un grave problema.The scarcity of drinkable water in the region is a serious issue.
- A causa della penuria di cibo, molte persone soffrono la fame.Due to the scarcity of food, many people suffer from hunger.
- L'ospedale locale soffre di una carenza di infermieri qualificati.The local hospital suffers from a scarcity of qualified nurses.
- C'è una mancanza di posti a sedere nel ristorante stasera.There is a scarcity of available seats in the restaurant tonight.
- La scarsità di risorse è un problema globale.The scarcity of resources is a global problem.
- La scarsità di acqua è un problema serio.The scarcity of water is a serious problem.
- C'è una grande scarsità di personale in questo periodo.There is a great scarcity of staff during this period.
- La scarsità di risorse ha rallentato il progetto.The scarcity of resources has slowed down the project.
Example conversation
Lorenzo and Martina are discussing the difficulty of a recent construction project.
- MartinaLorenzo, perché il lavoro è fermo?Lorenzo, why is the work stopped?
- LorenzoC'è una scarsità di materiali edilizi.There is a scarcity of building materials.
- MartinaÈ terribile questa situazione.This situation is terrible.
- LorenzoSì, purtroppo non c'è molto da fare.Yes, unfortunately, there is not much to be done.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scarcity” translations and entries scarsità, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
