Paucity: meaning, definitions and examples

Appropriate in formal contexts to describe an extreme lack or insufficient quantity of something, often used in academic or professional settings.

• The paucity of evidence made it difficult to reach a definitive conclusion
• There is a paucity of information on this subject

Commonly used in both formal and informal contexts to describe a situation where something is hard to find or in limited supply, often with a sense of urgency or concern.

• Water scarcity is becoming a serious issue in many parts of the world
• The scarcity of affordable housing is a growing problem in urban areas

Can be used both formally and informally to highlight a general inadequacy or shortage of something necessary or desirable.

• The project failed due to the insufficiency of funds
• Insufficiency of food led to widespread malnutrition in the region

Frequently used in everyday language to indicate a lack or deficit in supply of something needed or desired, often with an emphasis on the immediate impact.

• There is a shortage of nurses in the hospital
• The store experienced a shortage of toilet paper during the crisis