scant attendance

USAGE SUMMARY

"scant attendance" is a grammatically correct phrase and can be used in written English.
It means a low or insufficient number of people present at an event or meeting. Example: Despite sending out invitations to the entire community, the organizers were disappointed by the scant attendance at the charity fundraiser.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

She thought the subprime mortgage crisis might have been a factor in the scant attendance.

The New York Times

Perhaps it was the scant attendance: there were barely enough people to fill two rows of folding chairs.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Three years ago, Mr. Lester closed his Beverly Hills art and antique fair because of scant sales and weak attendance; in May, he canceled a "Maastricht type" fair that had been scheduled to begin next October in Westchester County for a lack of dealers.

The New York Times

There were scant Heat fans in attendance Thursday to root their team on — the lack of direct flights between the two cities doesn't help — and a cursory check of ticket reseller Stubhub.com a few days before the game revealed something telling: there have typically been triple the number of seats available for Miami's home games than those in Oklahoma City.

The New York Times - Sports

My guess is that many of those in attendance that night had scant idea of what they were in for with this mystical and extraordinary work.

The New York Times - Arts

Attendance at these tournaments is scant, and network-TV cameras are nowhere to be found.

The New Yorker

However, studies focusing on hard endpoints and comparing Diabetes Clinic attendance vs. no attendance are scant.

Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases

At B.U., where he coached from 1978 to 1983, attendance at games was meager, news media attention scant, and so, he said, he felt that he could make mistakes "and nobody would notice what I was doing wrong".

The New York Times - Sports

Even among African-Americans, Mr. Rangel said, Mrs. Clinton's attendance at a dinner for Nelson Mandela's successor would attract scant attention.

The New York Times

Scant consolation.

The Guardian - Sport

It drew scant attention.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "scant attendance", consider the context to ensure the adjective effectively conveys the desired nuance of insufficiency or lack. It's often most impactful when contrasting expectations with reality.

Common error

Avoid using "scant attendance" in very informal settings. Simpler terms like "low attendance" or "poor turnout" may be more appropriate for casual communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "scant attendance" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "scant" modifies the noun "attendance". Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness. It typically serves to describe the quantity or extent of attendance.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "scant attendance" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe situations with low participation. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts and serves to report on or describe the level of attendance. While "scant attendance" is not incorrect, simpler phrases like "low attendance" or "poor turnout" may be more suitable for informal settings. When using this phrase, make sure that the context is aligned with the meaning of the word scant - something insufficient.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

poor turnout

Replaces "scant attendance" with a more common synonym, emphasizing the disappointing number of attendees.

low attendance

Uses a more direct and simpler term to describe the limited number of people present.

sparse turnout

Similar to "scant attendance" but focusing on the distributed nature of the attendees.

meager attendance

Emphasizes the inadequacy of the number of attendees, similar to "scant".

limited turnout

Highlights the restricted number of people who attended, suggesting a defined limit.

thin attendance

Suggests a small number of attendees, implying a lack of density in the audience.

minimal attendance

Indicates the smallest possible number of attendees were present.

inadequate attendance

Focuses on the insufficiency of the attendance, implying a required minimum was not met.

deficient attendance

Highlights a specific shortfall in the number of people present, implying a lack.

underattended event

Shifts the focus to the event itself, describing it as lacking sufficient attendees.

FAQs

What does "scant attendance" mean?

"Scant attendance" refers to a situation where the number of people attending an event or gathering is very low or insufficient. It implies a lack of expected or desired participation.

What can I say instead of "scant attendance"?

You can use alternatives like "poor turnout", "low attendance", or "sparse turnout" depending on the context.

Is "scant attendance" formal or informal?

"Scant attendance" is generally considered more formal than phrases like "poor turnout" but less formal than academic vocabulary. It's suitable for news articles, reports, and professional communication.

How do I use "scant attendance" in a sentence?

You can use "scant attendance" to describe events where the number of attendees was lower than expected, for example: "The organizers were disappointed by the scant attendance at the conference."