paucity

noun

pau·​ci·​ty ˈpȯ-sə-tē How to pronounce paucity (audio)
1
: smallness of number : fewness
2
: smallness of quantity : dearth

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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
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The paucity of e-SAF projects in Europe has seen the airline group and its competitors venture well beyond the continent to remain on track with their low carbon emissions targets. Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024 Leaving the lineup alone Pitching took precedence over lengthening Houston’s lineup, Brown said, an understandable stance given the state of his starting rotation, workload concerns with the Astros’ leverage relievers and the aforementioned paucity of prospect capital. Chandler Rome, The Athletic, 30 July 2024 The paucity of federal data privacy protections is a stark reminder that while the candidates are addressing some of the challenges posed by developments in AI and technology more broadly, a lot still remains to be done to regulate technology in the public interest. Anjana Susarla, Quartz, 21 Oct. 2024 The discrepancy in numbers is down to the paucity of reporting data during the conflict. Clark Bentson, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for paucity 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English paucite, from Latin paucitat-, paucitas, from paucus little — more at few

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of paucity was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Paucity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paucity. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

paucity

noun
pau·​ci·​ty ˈpȯ-sət-ē How to pronounce paucity (audio)
: smallness of number or quantity : scarcity
a paucity of experience

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