# sparsity

/spˈɑːsɪti/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sparsity
Updated: 2026-09-28

## Definition

having only a few active elements or numbers in a large set, with most values being zero.

For teachers: the mathematical or computational property of matrices, vectors, or representations where the vast majority of elements are equal to zero.

## Examples

- Due to sparsity in the desert, towns were separated by hundreds of miles of empty land.
- Activation sparsity allows sparse autoencoders to isolate clear features without interference.
- Enforcing L1 weight sparsity during pruning significantly reduces model memory footprints while preserving downstream classification accuracy.

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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.