Standard Lemma guide

sparsity

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The property of being sparse; sparseness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the property of being scanty or scattered; lacking denseness

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sparseness, spareness, thinness

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: meagerness, meagreness, leanness, poorness, scantiness, scantness, exiguity

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English sparse Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English sparsity From sparse + -ity.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: рядкост (rjadkost) — the property of being sparse
  • French: parcimonie — the property of being sparse
  • French: sparsité — the property of being sparse
  • German: Seltenheit — the property of being sparse
  • German: matrices: Dünnbesetztheit — the property of being sparse
  • Hindi: विरलता (viraltā) — the property of being sparse
  • Spanish: escasez — the property of being sparse