sparsely

[ spahrs-lee ]

adverb

1. in a thinly distributed way; not thickly or densely:

   Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is very sparsely populated, as more than 90% of it is forested.

2. in a scanty or meager way:

   It was a large kitchen, but very sparsely equipped for cooking.

Other Words From

• un·sparse·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of sparsely¹

sparse ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

After that, Clallam County — roughly balanced politically between its three small population centers and sparsely populated rural reaches — stood alone.

From Los Angeles Times

Amazon touted the sparsely furnished studio and un-flashy graphics as a refreshing departure from the typical horse-race network trappings, on the other hand, focusing instead on discussion and other media round-ups.

From Salon

An NTD.com cameraman then zoomed in on sections of empty seats as people left the already sparsely populated stadium.

From Salon

While most Californians have access to safe water, roughly 750,000 people as of late October are served by 383 failing water systems, many clustered in remote and sparsely populated areas.

From Salon

Kwong hoped the “resonance” between his sparsely attended amateur game in the desert and what was happening at Dodger Stadium would help get the message out.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• casually
• delicately
• easily
• faintly
• freely
• gingerly
• mildly
• moderately
• quietly
• simply
• slightly
• softly
• subtly
• tenderly
• thinly