overcapacity

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noun

A capacity for the production of a commodity or product that is in excess of what is needed.

UncommonScrabble 24

Meanings

nounovercapacity (countable and uncountable, plural overcapacities)

plural overcapacities

  1. countableuncountableA capacity for the production of a commodity or product that is in excess of what is needed.

    In the last two years much of the car industry’s focus has been on Chinese overcapacity, but the VDA’s statement is drawing attention to deeper changes in Europe with fewer cars being bought by the public.

    2026 July 8, Lisa O’Carroll, “German car industry warns of job collapse unless ‘bold decisions’ made to address Chinese threat”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
    1 more example

    In 1959, Ernest Marples became the new Minister of Transport. His business career had been as a road builder and he saw the future in a network of motorways, whereas he believed there was serious overcapacity in the railway network.

    2023 March 8, David Clough, “The long road that led to Beeching”, in RAIL, number 978, page 43

Origin

Translations

Danish overkapacitet
  • overkapaciteta capacity that is in excess of what is needed
Dutch overcapaciteit
  • overcapaciteita capacity that is in excess of what is needed
Finnish ylikapasiteetti
  • ylikapasiteettia capacity that is in excess of what is needed
Hungarian túlkapacitás
  • túlkapacitása capacity that is in excess of what is needed
Cite this entry
APA

overcapacity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcapacity

MLA

“overcapacity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcapacity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overcapacity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overcapacity.

Source: overcapacity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.