sparsely
Americanadverb
-
in a thinly distributed way; not thickly or densely.
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is very sparsely populated, as more than 90% of it is forested.
-
in a scanty or meager way.
It was a large kitchen, but very sparsely equipped for cooking.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sparsely
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So much so, in fact, that on the Wednesday night that we visited for a sold-out event, the sparsely populated lounge area was nearly silent.
From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026
Flash floods are common in Northern Arizona because the arid, sparsely vegetated environments there have little capacity to absorb rain, the park's website said, urging visitors to be especially cautious from July to mid-September.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
The local authority has previously said the Highlands, which has large, sparsely populated areas, offered astronomy fans some of the darkest skies in Europe.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
Hilton leads in the state’s more sparsely populated and conservative-leaning areas, including the Central Valley and North Coast/Sierra region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Furthermore, it was sparsely given, not the dousing given to hostile objects.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
