sparse

[ spahrs ]

adjective

, spars·er, spars·est.

1. thinly scattered or distributed:

   a sparse population.

   Antonyms: abundant

2. not thick or dense; thin:

   sparse hair.

   Antonyms: abundant

3. scanty; meager.

   Antonyms: abundant

sparse

/ spɑːs /

adjective

1. scattered or scanty; not dense

Derived Forms

• ˈsparseness, noun
• ˈsparsely, adverb

Other Words From

• sparse·ly adverb
• spar·si·ty [spahr, -si-tee], sparse·ness noun
• un·sparse adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparse¹

First recorded in 1715–25; from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere “to scatter,” sparge

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparse¹

C18: from Latin sparsus, from spargere to scatter

Synonym Study

See scanty.

Related Words

• inadequate
• infrequent
• meager
• scant
• scanty
• scarce
• skimpy
• sporadic
• thin