Did you know?
Learn a Little About Paucity
Paucity refers to "littleness" in numbers (as in "a paucity of facts") or quantity ("a paucity of common sense"). The word comes from paucus, Latin for "little."
Examples of paucity in a Sentence
If you had one of those Yugoslav names with a paucity of vowels, you might sprinkle in a few …
—
Calvin Trillin, Time, 22 May 2000
For my part, I find increasingly that I miss the simplicity, the almost willful paucity, of the English way of doing things.
—Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999
This relative paucity of freeloaders and deadbeats means that rookie Americans, as a group, more than pay their way.
—Jaclyn Fierman, Fortune, 9 Aug. 1993
a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour
Calvin Trillin, Time, 22 May 2000
For my part, I find increasingly that I miss the simplicity, the almost willful paucity, of the English way of doing things.
—Bill Bryson, I'm a Stranger Here Myself, 1999
This relative paucity of freeloaders and deadbeats means that rookie Americans, as a group, more than pay their way.
—Jaclyn Fierman, Fortune, 9 Aug. 1993
a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour
Recent Examples on the Web
The sheer paucity of Russian resources, after three and a half years of war, may lead to a similarly ineffective response to any use of Tomahawks.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The interpersonal sniping matters less than this paucity of ideas about the country or how to sell them.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Lucy Liu has been quite outspoken in recent years, calling out the unjust treatment of women and the paucity of roles for non-white actors in Hollywood, and advocating for the rights of children through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among other relevant topics.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
All are attracted by undervalued share prices, surplus cash, non-core assets, and evidence of weak governance, such as lack of board diversity, directors with long tenure, or a paucity of independent directors.
—David Michels, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The interpersonal sniping matters less than this paucity of ideas about the country or how to sell them.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Lucy Liu has been quite outspoken in recent years, calling out the unjust treatment of women and the paucity of roles for non-white actors in Hollywood, and advocating for the rights of children through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), among other relevant topics.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 10 Sep. 2025
All are attracted by undervalued share prices, surplus cash, non-core assets, and evidence of weak governance, such as lack of board diversity, directors with long tenure, or a paucity of independent directors.
—David Michels, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Cite this Entry
“Paucity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paucity. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share