sparse Definition
- 1thinly dispersed or scattered
- 2occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals; not thick or dense
Using sparse: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sparse" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
The forest was sparse with trees.
Example
The sparse population of the area made it difficult to find a good restaurant.
Example
The sparse rainfall led to a drought.
sparse Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with sparse
Example
Sparse matrices are used in numerical analysis and scientific computing.
Example
Dealing with sparse data is a common problem in machine learning.
an area with few inhabitants per square mile or kilometer
Example
The sparse population of the region made it difficult to provide public services.
Origins of sparse
from Latin 'sparsum', meaning 'scattered'
Summary: sparse in Brief
The term 'sparse' [spɑːrs] refers to something that is thinly dispersed or scattered, or occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals. It can describe physical objects like trees or populations, as in 'The forest was sparse with trees.' 'Sparse' can also refer to data that has many missing values or is incomplete, as in 'Dealing with sparse data is a common problem in machine learning.'