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paucity

paucity

7 8.6
A small amount of something that is not enough
  • noun
  • /ˈpɔːsɪti/
  • Formal
translation icon : paucidad
  • The city is facing a paucity of affordable housing options, making it hard for many families to find a place to live.
  • paucity of research
  • paucity of data
  • paucity of literature

There is a continual paucity, a lack of feeling.

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Examples

  • Currently, there is a paucity of tasks available to examine narrative writing, particularly in adolescents.

    Academic text (2012)
  • There is a relative paucity of data regarding the performance of these children in later school years.

    Academic text (2015)
  • However, there is a paucity of data to support this theory.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Other times, the paucity of staff and the lack of training made it difficult to deliver needed interventions.

    Academic text (2015)
  • And the problem is in Bangladesh there is a paucity of fuel wood.

  • In one sense, this paucity doesn't surprise, given the intellectual climate of our century.

    Academic text (1995)
  • On one hand, this seemed like a good idea since there is a paucity of literature written by Native Hawaiians.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • However, the paucity of research in this area raises intriguing questions for the field of transition.

    Academic text (2015)
  • Few longitudinal comparisons are possible because of the paucity of published data about community college preparation programs.

    Academic text (1994)
  • Al-Haq's next obstacle was, perhaps predictably, the paucity of information on the judicial system in the Occupied Territories.

    Academic text (1994)

Synonyms

lack
vspaucity
1.3

Not having something you need or want

is the single-word label for that same state of not having enough
deficit
vspaucity
674 4.3

An amount by which money or resources are less than needed

is the broader label for an overall not enough amount
shortage
vspaucity
253 2.7

Not having enough of something people need, like food or water

is the general noun for not having enough amount
deficiency
vspaucity
98 4.5

Not having enough of something that is needed

is the general amount idea focused on the missing part
deprivation
vspaucity
76 6.2

Not having basic things you need, like food, shelter, or sleep

is the neutral quantity idea, not the longer social situation
inadequacy
vspaucity
30 5.8

A lack of enough skill, quality, or amount to meet a need

is the same small amount idea rather than judgement of quality
scarcity
vspaucity
29 4.4

A situation where there is not enough of something people need

is the exact single-word label for that same small supply
shortness
vspaucity
20 3.2

A lack of enough of something that is needed

is the general noun expressing a limited amount overall
dearth
vspaucity
16 8.5

A lack of things people need, like food or water

is the same idea but expressed with this chosen term
insufficiency
vspaucity
1 6.5

A lack of skill, experience, or resources needed for a job

is the term used to name that limited amount
sparseness
vspaucity
1 6.8

A small number or amount that is spread out

is similar but highlights overall limited amount more
low density
vspaucity
  • Specialized
1 3.7

A small amount of material in a space like foam or gas

is the simple limited quantity idea, not the physical measure
scarceness
vspaucity
1 7.2

A small amount of something that people need

is the single-word term used for that same condition
undersupply
vspaucity
1 5.1

Not enough of something for people who need it

is the broader term for not having enough overall
meagerness
vspaucity
  • US
1 7.0

A very small amount of something that is not enough

is the general noun for a small or limited amount
leanness
vspaucity
1 4.4

A small amount of something that is not enough

is the same concept but can also imply low richness
poorness
vspaucity
1 5.3

A state of having low quality or too little of something

is the general small amount concept rather than value judgement
sparsity
vspaucity
1 7.6

A small number or amount spread far apart

is the general small amount concept rather than distribution
thinness
vspaucity
1 4.3

Not being full or dense, like a small crowd and a small number of hairs

is the broader small amount term not limited to low thickness
spareness
vspaucity
1 8.1

A bare, simple style with very few details

is the broader small amount idea rather than merely bare condition
rareness
vspaucity
1 6.9

A quality that shows something is uncommon

is about small amount rather than how often something occurs
undersaturation
vspaucity
  • Jargon
8.8

A market with fewer goods and services than people need

is the more general noun for limited available amount
meagreness
vspaucity
8.1

A very small amount of something that is not enough

is the same basic idea but spelled differently
scantiness
vspaucity
8.8

A small amount of something that is not enough

is similar but points more to smallness than rarity
fewness
vspaucity
9.9

A small number of people or things

is the broader idea of limited amount, not only counting
skimpiness
vspaucity
  • NSFW
7.7

Clothes that are very small and show a lot of skin

is the general not enough amount idea, not specific to garments

Antonyms

1.0

A large amount that is more than needed

91 3.3

A large amount of something, more than you need

How Much

abundance
91 3.3
adequacy
6 3.7
scarcity
29 4.4
paucity
  • Formal
7 8.6
absence
216 2.1

Surface Forms

paucity singular
paucities plural

Morphology

paucity = few (opaque) = pauc + ity

The combining form 'pauc-' is not a productive or recognizable standalone English morpheme to average learners, so the noun formation with '-ity' is not reliably inferable.

Etymology

Paucity comes from the Latin word paucus, which means 'few'. So paucity is a small or not enough amount of something, and thinking 'few' helps you remember its meaning.