availability

American  

[uh-vey-luh-bil-i-tee] / əˌveɪ ləˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Rarely availableness

noun

1. the fact or quality of being close at hand and ready for use.

   Children learn about the importance of reading and writing through the availability of a wide variety of books.

2. the fact or quality of being readily obtainable.

   Prices are subject to availability of the product at the time of ordering.

3. freedom or willingness to do something.

   League members selected as reserve players shall confirm their availability by signing the list on the notice board.

4. the fact or condition of not being involved in a romantic or sexual relationship and therefore being potentially open to one.

   Overall, he says, a man is more attracted to a woman by the signs of her availability than by her physical appearance.

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Other Word Forms

• interavailability noun
• nonavailability noun
• unavailability noun
• unavailableness noun

Etymology

Origin of availability

avail(able) ( def. ) + -ability ( def. )

Explanation

Something with availability is easy to get or to access. If you work at an ice cream shop, the availability of ice cream might make it hard to stick to a diet. The noun availability indicates that something is easily obtainable and ready for use. If you are thinking about renting a certain apartment, you might want to ask about the availability of parking spaces in the neighborhood before you sign a lease. You can use availability and accessibility almost interchangeably, as with this sentence: "The accessibility of the Internet has increased the availability of information."

Example Sentences

The scheme was intended to help those without access to money via friends and family by loaning them some of the funds for a house deposit and increasing mortgage availability.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Companies have been scrambling to secure the availability of computing capacity needed to serve a growing base of customers who are also significantly increasing their AI use.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Much research has focused on the buying side, primarily looking at how the availability and cost of mortgages vary by race and age.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Families are encouraged to contact the providers directly to confirm availability, hours, age requirements and enrollment.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

Rory has signed up for tesserae, something Gale can’t even speak about, but it’s still not enough with the inconsistent availability and the ever-increasing price of food.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• opportunity
• show
• time