sparsely
adv. manner B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈspɑɹsɫi// UK //spˈɑːsli// sparse·ly
adv. with only a small number of things or people spread over a large area. You use this to describe a place that feels empty or thin.
adv. in a thinly scattered manner; in small numbers or amounts over a wide area.
The room is sparsely furnished with just a bed and a chair.
The northern parts of the country are sparsely populated because of the extremely cold climate.
The author uses a sparsely decorated prose style to mirror the bleak, desolate landscape in which the story is set.
From sparse + -ly.
Usage
Typically modifies adjectives or past participles (e.g., 'sparsely populated', 'sparsely furnished').