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
- unsparsely adverb
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.
The worst fires have largely been confined to sparsely populated rural areas where towns might number a few hundred people.
From Barron's
She could see hints of her own reflection in the dark tile, looking back at her from a hundred different angles, watching her from all sides in the cavernous, sparsely furnished space.
From Literature
Greenland is the world's most sparsely populated territory.
From BBC
It is also the most sparsely populated territory.
From BBC
After playing sparsely at Auburn and then transferring to Liberty, he was seen as a possible first-round pick in the 2022 draft.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
