sparse

[ spahrs ]
/ spɑrs /
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adjective, spars·er, spars·est.

thinly scattered or distributed: a sparse population.
not thick or dense; thin: sparse hair.
scanty; meager.

Origin of sparse

1715–25; < Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere to scatter, sparge

SYNONYMS FOR sparse

1–3 See scanty.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR sparse ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM sparse

Words nearby sparse

sparrow hawk, sparrowfart, sparrowgrass, sparrowhawk, sparry, sparse, sparta, spartacist, spartacus, spartan, spartanburg

Words related to sparseness

smallness, insufficiency, dearth, paltriness, scantiness, rarity, famine, deficiency, absence, shortage, meagerness, poverty, fewness, slenderness, sparsity, delicacy, inadequacy, emaciation, fineness, shallowness

British Dictionary definitions for sparseness

sparse
/ (spɑːs) /

adjective

scattered or scanty; not dense

Derived forms of sparse

sparsely, adverb sparseness or sparsity, noun

Word Origin for sparse

C18: from Latin sparsus, from spargere to scatter