sparse

[spahrs]

adjective

sparser, sparsest 

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

Other Word Forms

• sparsely adverb
• sparsity noun
• sparseness noun
• unsparse 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.

Example Sentences

“Autumn,” while sparser, has its subjects massed at the edges, offering a connection between the verdant periods that come before and the chilly days that lay ahead.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With sparse data on tap before the Fed’s next rate decision in December, the central bank is likely to scrutinize Black Friday data more than ever.

Read more on Barron's

“You think of desert as pretty sparse, but natural plant density in the desert is, I think, somewhere around 3,000 plants per acre, and these fires cover hundreds of acres,” he said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Norman has seen positives, such as young crowds in Australia, but also struggles to explain why the television audiences have been so sparse.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Life on early Earth left behind only sparse molecular evidence.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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