Need
Need noun - A state of being without something necessary, desirable, or useful.
Usage example: when it came time to wrap the presents, he found he was in need of adhesive tape
Scarcity
Scarcity noun - A falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number.
Usage example: the scarcity of good restaurants around here is surprising
Need is a synonym for scarcity in necessity topic. Sometimes you can use "Need" instead a noun "Scarcity", if it concerns topics such as deficiency.
Mutual synonyms
How words are described
Both words in one sentence
- Their technology had advanced to the point where all work could be done by machines and everything necessary could be easily produced, eliminating scarcity and the need for labor.
Source: Artistic License Economics -
Supplies become a huge issue in many of the episodes, either with the scarcity of supplies being shown, or the quest to get what they need.
- Skeleton Government: naturally; given that the Shango and the Qareen are both post-scarcity societies, they don't need a lot of functions, such as a Treasury or a Business Department.
Source: Literature / The Galactic Series
Cite this Source
Scarcity and Need. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 15, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/scarcity
Need & Scarcity. N.p., 2016. Web. 15 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/scarcity>.
Scarcity or Need. 2016. Accessed August 15, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/need/scarcity.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "need" and "scarcity" have occurred on timeline