The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word SCARCITY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
S
C
A
R
C
I
T
Y
More clues leading to the result SCARCITY
- Big town faced with damage — lack of provisions
- Want to leave mark on financial institutions
- Shortage of transport in southern metropolis
- Shortfall in a marked metropolis?
- Want Mark to face Manchester, say
- Poverty as blemish on Cambridge?
- Lack vehicle in south London, say
- Short position almost frightening financial centre
- Inadequate supply from Detroit perhaps following onset of strike?
- Shortage nearly distresses town
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Lack" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case lack = scarcity.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
Crossword Answer definitions
SCARCITY noun- The condition of something being scarce or deficient
- An inadequate amount of something; a shortage