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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 …
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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
This is a productive time for general manager Don Sweeney to listen to offers and gauge Zacha’s return value, given the paucity of centers and the uncertainty around his next contract.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Scott Gerow, a luxury real estate agent, said interest in Boca grew amid a paucity in supply elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Ruth Abramovitz, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2026
That paucity of new tuners — there were just six original musicals in the season, and only two were viable candidates for the top award — meant that the Tonys for artistic achievement in musicals mostly went to revivals.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The decision isn’t likely to be an easy one, given the paucity of the data.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for paucity
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Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 20 June 2026
Scott Gerow, a luxury real estate agent, said interest in Boca grew amid a paucity in supply elsewhere during the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Ruth Abramovitz, Sun Sentinel, 19 June 2026
That paucity of new tuners — there were just six original musicals in the season, and only two were viable candidates for the top award — meant that the Tonys for artistic achievement in musicals mostly went to revivals.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2026
The decision isn’t likely to be an easy one, given the paucity of the data.
—Helen Branswell, STAT, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Cite this Entry
“Paucity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paucity. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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