scarce resource
Not enough available
A scarce resource is something useful that exists in limited supply relative to demand.
Economics treats most goods as scarce resources—time, money, oil, clean water, skilled labor.
The concept drives economic theory: if resources weren't scarce, there would be no need to allocate them.
Attention has become the scarce resource of the digital age.
- limitedRestricted in extent
- in short supplyInsufficiently available
- preciousHighly esteemed, greatly valued
- finiteHaving definite bounds
- running lowNearing exhaustion of supply
shortage · hoarding · rationing · bread line · drought · survival mode · famine · gold · water · oil · fossil fuel · liquid gold · depleted · bare cupboard · dwindling · coveted · rare · valuable
scarce resourcesurplus
Amount exceeding requirement
overabundance · glut · plenty · bounty · oversupply
scarce, scarcely, scarceness, scarcity, resource, resources, resourced, resourceful, resourcefully