shortage

Pronunciation

• IPA: UK /ˈʃɔː.tɪdʒ/, US /ˈʃɔːr.t̬ɪdʒ/^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from short and -age, in American English.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A deficiency, the amount by which something falls short: 1862 in Etymonline, 1868 in the OED and Merriam-Webster.^[2][3][4]

Timeline

• 1862 – shortage (US).^[2]
• 1868 – a deficiency in quantity.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A lack or deficiency in the amount needed or expected; a deficit.

Word family

• preshortage

Related words

• short
• shortfall

References

1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2011), Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary, 18th ed., ed. Peter Roach, Jane Setter and John Esling, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
2. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
3. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster