# sparse

/ˈspɑɹs/ (US) · /spˈɑːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sparse
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. widely spaced

adjective · CEFR B2

spread out over a large area with a lot of space between things.

For teachers: distributed in a thin or scattered fashion; having widely spaced intervals.

- The desert has only sparse vegetation because there is very little water.
- The region is characterized by sparse settlements, with small villages separated by miles of rugged, uninhabited terrain.

### 2. small in amount

adjective · CEFR B2

not enough of something; very little or thin.

For teachers: meager or scanty in amount or degree; lacking in abundance.

- Information about the accident was sparse during the first few hours.
- Details regarding the merger remain sparse, as both companies have declined to comment until the legal review is complete.

### 3. containing few elements

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

used in math or computing to describe a group of data where most values are zero.

For teachers: relating to a matrix or data set in which most of the elements are zero or null.

- The computer program runs faster because it uses a sparse matrix.
- Efficient algorithms for sparse matrices are essential in large-scale simulations where storing every zero would exhaust the available memory.

Usage: Commonly used in the phrase 'sparse matrix'.

## Examples

- The desert has very sparse vegetation.
- The audience for the late-night screening was sparse, with only a few people scattered across the back row.
- The author's sparse prose style avoids unnecessary adjectives, forcing the reader to focus on the raw emotional weight of the dialogue.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.