Sparse
/spɑːrs/
Definitions
Distributed thinly; not dense or crowded.
/spɑːrs/
Thinly dispersed or scattered.
The population of the remote village was very sparse.
💡 Simply: Imagine a pizza with very few toppings. That pizza is *sparse* because the toppings are spread out and there aren't many of them!
👶 For kids: When things are spread out and not close together.
More Examples
The information available about the topic was surprisingly sparse.
The desert was a land of sparse vegetation.
How It's Used
"The sparse vegetation struggled to survive in the arid climate."
"The data points were sparse, making analysis difficult."
"Sparse clouds dotted the endless blue sky."
From Old English *spærs*, related to Old Norse *sparsamr* ('scanty, frugal'), from Proto-Germanic *sparsaz*.
The word 'sparse' has been used since the late 16th century, initially referring to a lack of generosity or stinginess, before evolving to describe the distribution of things.
Memory tip
Think of a *sparse* forest: the trees are far apart, and you can see through them easily.