sparse quantity

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sparse quantity" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a small or insufficient amount of something, often in contexts where quantity is being evaluated or compared. Example: "The research revealed a sparse quantity of data on the subject, making it difficult to draw any significant conclusions."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Health states in the model were constructed from WHO-defined influenza entities due to the quite heterogeneous and sparse quantity and quality of epidemiological data on influenza and related diseases in the target countries.

Human Vaccines and Immunotherapeutics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Furthermore, they frequently yield only sparse quantities of cytological material and therefore provide only limited information about the genetic content of cells.

Genome Medicine

If the quality of primary research is poor, the quantity sparse, or the outcomes heterogeneous, then calculation of a summary effect may not be possible or sensible.

Plosone

Due to the vanishing moment property of wavelets, we can achieve sparse representations for the quantities involved.

Journal of Computational Physics

However, managers agree that most components of the CAMH system in Uganda are weak, characterized by poor financing, inadequate quality and quantity of services, sparse human resources, and non-integration within health and non-health sectors.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

As a matter of fact, all iterative projection approaches for phase retrieval with phase sparse constraint have a good recovery quantity and faster residual convergence speed than the counterparts.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

This paper identifies new bases for random variables through linear mappings such that the representation of the quantity of interest is more sparse with new basis functions associated with the new random variables.

Journal of Computational Physics

The dopamine-containing fibers in the dlPFC are actually rather sparse (Fig.  8 A), emphasizing that quantity does not always correlate with efficacy.

Cerebral Cortex

Additionally, reviews synthesizing comparative evidence are sparse, in large part because of the quality and quantity of head-to-head trials (Wilkinson et al 2002; Wilcock et al 2003; Jones et al 2004; Bullock et al 2005).

Clinical interventions in aging

It is shown that the proposed reduced order method based on sparse polynomial chaos expansions is able to predict statistical quantities with little loss of information, at a cheaper cost than other state-of-the-art techniques.

Journal of Computational Physics

The following subsection explains the first two differences and highlights how SParSE achieves the same time complexity as dwSSA for computing quantities in (i).

BMC Systems Biology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sparse quantity", ensure the context clearly indicates what is lacking or insufficient. For example, "Due to the limited budget, the project had a "sparse quantity" of resources available".

Common error

Avoid using "sparse quantity" when a neutral term like "small amount" would be more appropriate. "Sparse" often implies a deficiency or lack, which may not always be the intended meaning.

Linguistic Context

Adjectival phrase modifying a noun. "Sparse" functions as an adjective describing the "quantity", indicating that the amount is small or insufficient. Ludwig provides examples showing its use in scientific and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sparse quantity" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a limited or insufficient amount of something. As Ludwig confirms, the phrase appears more frequently in scientific and news contexts, conveying a sense of deficiency. When writing, consider whether a more neutral term like "small amount" is more appropriate, as "sparse" often implies a negative connotation. Remember to make sure that the context and tone is appropriate when choosing to use the phrase "sparse quantity".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

sparse amount

Replaces "quantity" with a synonym, maintaining the same meaning.

scarce quantity

Substitutes "sparse" with "scarce", emphasizing the rarity or limited availability.

limited quantity

Uses "limited" instead of "sparse", focusing on the restriction in amount.

small quantity

Replaces "sparse" with "small", indicating a reduced size or number.

meager quantity

Emphasizes the inadequacy of the amount using the word "meager".

insufficient quantity

Highlights the lack of sufficient amount.

paltry quantity

Indicates a trivial or insignificant amount.

reduced quantity

Focuses on the act of diminishing the amount.

minimal quantity

Emphasizes the extremely low or bare minimum amount.

restricted quantity

Highlights that the amount is controlled or limited by external factors.

FAQs

How can I use "sparse quantity" in a sentence?

You can use "sparse quantity" to describe a situation where there is a limited amount of something available, such as "The research revealed a "sparse quantity" of data on the subject, making it difficult to draw any significant conclusions."

What are some alternatives to using "sparse quantity"?

You can use alternatives like "limited amount", "scant quantity", or "small amount" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "sparse quantity" or "limited quantity"?

Both "sparse quantity" and "limited quantity" are correct, but "sparse" often carries a more negative connotation, implying a deficiency. Choose the phrase that best fits the tone and context of your writing.

What does "sparse quantity" imply about the item being described?

The phrase "sparse quantity" suggests that there is not enough of something, which may lead to challenges or limitations. It highlights the inadequacy of the available amount.