thinly dispersed or scattered, occurring, growing, or settled at widely spaced intervals; not thick or dense

sparse matrix, sparse data, sparse population

Formal and Informal Expressions of sparse

In different contexts, you can replace 'sparse' with suitable alternatives. In a more formal setting, 'scanty, meager' is apt. In informal speech or writing, 'thin, light' is a commonplace synonym.

sparse: Explore its Definition & Usage

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

Synonyms for sparse

Antonyms for sparse

Phrases with sparse

sparse matrix
a matrix in which most of the elements are zero
Example
Sparse matrices are used in numerical analysis and scientific computing.
sparse data
data that has many missing values or is incomplete
Example
Dealing with sparse data is a common problem in machine learning.
sparse population
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'

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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.'