paucity

[paw-si-tee]

noun

1. smallness of quantity; scarcity; scantiness.

   a country with a paucity of resources.

2. smallness or insufficiency of number; fewness.

paucity

/ ˈpɔːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. smallness of quantity; insufficiency; dearth

2. smallness of number; fewness

Word History and Origins

Origin of paucity¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English paucite, from Latin paucitās “fewness,” derivative of paucus “few”; -ity

Word History and Origins

Origin of paucity¹

C15: from Latin paucitās scarcity, from paucus few

Example Sentences

After the blazes, there was a paucity of information about its losses and whether it could cover them.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Still, a relative paucity of visible failures isn’t the same thing as an all-clear signal for all borrowers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By comparison, there is a paucity of reporting about how those policies impact the day-to-day emotional lives and health of actual Americans and their lived experiences.

Read more on Salon

Despite the frequent paucity of BLM cartographic resources, apparently Jackson never got lost or worried about dropping the thread of a trail.

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England's paucity of high-quality defenders, certainly compared to their riches in attack, may ultimately inspire similar caution, especially in an environment that naturally breeds restrictive thinking.

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Related Words

• dearth 
• insufficiency 
• smallness www.thesaurus.com