- a deficiency or lack in the amount needed, expected, or due; deficit
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
short•age /ˈʃɔrtɪdʒ/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- the condition or state of not having enough;
deficiency:a shortage of cash. - the amount of such deficiency:a shortage of fifty dollars.
short•age
(shôr′tij),USA pronunciation n.
- a deficiency in quantity:a shortage of cash.
- the amount of such deficiency.
- short + -age 1865–70
- 1. . lack, want, scarcity.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
shortage /ˈʃɔːtɪdʒ/ n