paucity of items

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "paucity of items" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where there is a lack or scarcity of items available. Example: "The store faced a paucity of items during the holiday season, leading to disappointed customers."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Not being privy to the instrument-design process, we were not able to craft the items in a manner consistent with our research goals and theoretical framework; thus, we were faced with a paucity of items relevant to particular constructs (e.g., achievement, homework) and potentially unreliable indicators for others (e.g., mindset).

International Journal of STEM Education

The fourth and last stage of the evolution of the concept of nuclear waste in the U.S. public discourse is recorded in the dataset in a relative paucity of items: for all of the 6 years 1964 1969, there were only three records from the year 1966 and another three from the year 1967 that fit the study's sampling criteria; the other 4 years have no records in the dataset.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

There is a nascent admiration for Bhutan, which shares Sikkim's paucity of heritage items but which has shrewdly managed a sensitive conservation of its monastic heritage.

The New York Times

The preponderance of cooking utensils, the paucity of clothes and items of leisure suggest a lifestyle that is about to be upended.

BBC

Do their repetitions hide a paucity of ideas?

The Guardian - Music

The items 3 (paucity of expressive gestures), 7 (lack of vocal inflections), 15 (impersistence at work or school) and 18 (recreational interests and activities) had statically significant odds ratios of 4.6 (CI 0.9 21.8), 2.4 (CI 0.7 8.8), 3.0 (CI 1.8 4.9) and 2.1 (CI 0.9 4.9) respectively, and were associated with the diagnosis of psychotic disorder.

BMC Psychiatry

There remains a paucity of work that examines the conceptual, operational, or psychometric equivalence of items currently measuring unmet health needs in languages other than English.

BMC Health Services Research

The item of items.

The Guardian - Travel

There is a paucity of studies that explore the stability of the item hierarchy in the WSAS across different disease populations.

Journal of Psychosomatic Research

There is a paucity of research that tested mean differences of service quality measurement items among different healthcare user groups (e.g., type of patients, the patient's family members and general public) in a hospital setting.

International Journal of Quality Innovation

Of note, we did not pursue IRT modeling for the second observational factor of Feature 3 (disorganized thinking) because only three items loaded on this factor: limited speech, paucity of thoughts, and slow speech.

BMC Medical Research Methodology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "paucity of items" when you want to emphasize not just a lack, but a notable deficiency that hinders a process or outcome.

Common error

Avoid using "paucity of items" in everyday conversation or informal writing. It can sound pretentious. Opt for more common phrases like "not enough items" or "a shortage of items".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "paucity of items" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject or object of a sentence. It describes a state of deficiency or scarcity concerning specific items. The Ludwig examples show its use in academic and journalistic contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "paucity of items" is a grammatically correct noun phrase used to describe a scarcity or lack of items, according to Ludwig AI. While grammatically sound, it's a relatively formal expression, more common in scientific and news contexts. Consider simpler alternatives like "shortage" or "lack" for broader audiences. The related phrases, writing guidance and FAQs are all designed to help you use it effectively and appropriately. Always consider your audience when using less common vocabulary.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

shortage of items

Replaces "paucity" with "shortage", a more common synonym, maintaining the same structure.

scarcity of items

Substitutes "paucity" with "scarcity", another close synonym that is slightly more formal.

lack of items

Uses "lack" instead of "paucity", creating a simpler and more direct expression.

limited number of items

Rephrases the idea to focus on the small quantity rather than the lack itself.

dearth of items

Replaces "paucity" with "dearth", a less common but equally valid synonym, suggesting a severe lack.

insufficiency of items

Substitutes "paucity" with "insufficiency", highlighting the inadequacy of the quantity.

inadequate supply of items

Focuses on the supply being insufficient, rather than the pure lack.

meager quantity of items

Emphasizes the smallness of the quantity available.

rare availability of items

Shifts the focus to the infrequency with which the items are available.

limited stock of items

Highlights the restricted inventory or supply.

FAQs

How can I use "paucity of items" in a sentence?

You can use "paucity of items" to describe situations where there is an insufficient number of items available. For example, "The research team faced a "paucity of items" relevant to their study".

What can I say instead of "paucity of items"?

You can use alternatives like "shortage of items", "scarcity of items", or "lack of items" depending on the context.

Is "paucity of items" formal or informal?

"Paucity of items" is considered a more formal expression. In informal settings, simpler alternatives like "not enough items" might be more appropriate.

How does "paucity of items" differ from "shortage of items"?

While both phrases indicate a lack, "paucity" implies a more pronounced or noticeable deficiency than a simple "shortage of items". "Paucity" suggests that the lack is significant enough to cause a problem or limitation.