dearth of need

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "dearth of need" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward.
It could be used in contexts discussing a lack of necessity or demand for something. Example: "In the current market, there is a dearth of need for additional products, as consumer interest has waned."

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Certainly, there is no dearth of need.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

He invited me back to his place, where we shared a joint while he lamented the dearth of funding needed to re-classify drugs like 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (that's your BFF, Molly), psilocybin, and ayahuasca as Schedule II substances, despite their apparent medicinal benefits for patients with terminal cancer and PTSD, among others.

Vice

Anyone who doubts the power of drug company marketing to overcome a dearth of scientific evidence need only ponder the disturbing matter of cold medicines used to treat children and infants.

The New York Times

This has exposed the dearth of, and the need for, social security for women, a legacy of comparatively lower labor market participation, higher informality, and smaller salaries.

Huffington Post

However, the use of interferograms for volcano monitoring, especially in a decision-making context, remains challenging due to delays between data acquisition and delivery of 'raw' imagery, the historical lack of freely available imagery, and to a dearth of the experience needed to interpret diverse satellite datasets in many observatories (e.g., Dzurisin, 2000).

Journal of Applied Volcanology

There's still a dearth of practical issues that need to be explored, but the printing process seems to work well enough on Earth.

TechCrunch

This dearth of evidence underscores a need for partnerships across research and intervention groups in order to identify meaningful, effective, and culturally appropriate mechanisms to address this problem.

BMC Women's Health

"There's such a dearth of farmers, and there needs to be some innovative strategies for bringing in small producers," said Ms. Miller, who used to manage a farmers' market in West Virginia.

The New York Times - Food

Although BMCs probably constitute a feasible and functional alternative to cell-culture based bone tissue engineering applications there is a substantial dearth of information regarding the needs of BMC for adherence and survival on scaffolds suitable for bone tissue engineering.

BioMed Research International

As an actor who knows both Audra McDonald and Kristin Chenoweth, I assure you that their explorations of other means of expression are not due to a dearth of material, but to the need to grow and diversify.

The New York Times

Evidently, there is a dearth need of relevant literatures concerning schizophrenia in Nepal as there is no adequate research about it.

BMC Psychiatry

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "dearth of need", ensure the context clearly indicates a lack of necessity or demand. Consider whether alternative phrasings like "lack of necessity" might be clearer for your audience.

Common error

Avoid using "dearth of need" when you actually mean a general lack of resources or opportunities. "Dearth of need" specifically refers to a lack of requirement, not a shortage of something else.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "dearth of need" functions as a noun phrase, where "dearth" acts as the head noun modified by the prepositional phrase "of need". It describes a state of lacking requirements. Ludwig indicates its usage is acceptable, though uncommon.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "dearth of need" describes a scarcity or lack of necessity. While grammatically correct, it is relatively uncommon. According to Ludwig, the phrase is acceptable, albeit less frequently used than alternatives like "lack of necessity". It is most often found in News & Media and Scientific contexts, implying a formal to neutral tone. Consider using simpler synonyms for clearer communication. It's important to ensure the context of your writing clearly indicates a lack of requirement to avoid misinterpretation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

lack of necessity

Replaces "dearth" with a more common synonym and restructures the sentence.

absence of demand

Focuses on the lack of demand rather than need, changing the perspective slightly.

scarcity of requirements

Emphasizes the limited number of requirements, using a different vocabulary.

paucity of wants

Highlights the limited number of things desired, changing the focus to desires.

minimal necessity

Simplifies the phrase to indicate a low level of need.

limited requirement

Indicates that requirements are few and restricted.

non-existence of need

Emphasizes the complete lack of need.

surplus of supply

Shifts focus to the overabundance of supply, implying a lack of need.

overabundance of resources

Highlights the plentiful resources, thus negating the need.

lack of exigency

Replaces "need" with "exigency", referring to the degree of urgency.

FAQs

What does "dearth of need" mean?

The phrase "dearth of need" means a scarcity or lack of necessity. It describes a situation where there isn't much requirement or demand for something.

Is "dearth of need" grammatically correct?

Yes, "dearth of need" is grammatically correct, but it's not a commonly used phrase. Simpler alternatives like "lack of necessity" may be clearer.

What can I say instead of "dearth of need"?

You can use alternatives like "lack of necessity", "absence of demand", or "minimal requirement" depending on the context.

How can I use "dearth of need" in a sentence?

You can use "dearth of need" to describe situations where there is little or no requirement for something. For example: "In the current market, there is a dearth of need for additional products."