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Definition of sparse adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

sparse

adjective
 
/spɑːs/
 
/spɑːrs/
(comparative sparser, superlative sparsest)
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  1. only present in small amounts or numbers and often spread over a large area
    • the sparse population of the islands
    • Vegetation becomes sparse higher up the mountains.
    • The information available on the subject is sparse.
    Oxford Collocations DictionarySparse is used with these nouns:
    • attendance
    • population
    • vegetation
    • …
    See full entry
    Word Originearly 18th cent. (used to describe writing in the sense ‘widely spaced’): from Latin sparsus, past participle of spargere ‘scatter’.
See sparse in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee sparse in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: sparse

Nearby words

perspective
noun
 
 
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