sparse to no

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sparse to no" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation where there is very little or almost no presence of something. Example: "The feedback from the audience was sparse to no, indicating a lack of interest in the presentation."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

This study focused on 11 cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma with Paneth cell like change, which had sparse to no Paneth cell like granules; grading the tumor conventionally would have resulted in assigning a Gleason pattern 5 for the primary or secondary pattern.

Human Pathology

In our study of human lung, however, staining of saccular/type I alveolar cells was seen consistently in gestations ≤24 weeks or in the presence of severe lung injury with otherwise sparse to no staining after 32-week gestation.

BioMed Research International

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

However, the available evidence on asbestos is too sparse to allow a firm conclusion; almost no data are available on other minerals.

Environmental Health Perspectives

There was no evidence for effect modification by age, although data were too sparse to estimate interactions with gender.

Heart

And the lady situation remained sparse to say the least.

Vice

There is no evidence from human studies that artemisinins are teratogenic, but data is still too sparse to rule this out.

Plosone

The protective effect of the T carriers was seen also for SP coverage; however, it was only significant for moderate SP. CR1 CC genotype carriers were associated with an increased risk of having sparse compared to no SP; however, the trend was not consistent for increasing coverage of SP (data not shown), which was also true for the analysis grouping the rare homozygote with the heterozygotes.

Alzheimer's Research and Therapy

Data on adolescent diet in relation to future risk of T2DM are sparse, and, to our knowledge, no study has investigated whether particular dietary patterns at early stages in the life course can affect risk of T2DM in adulthood.

Diabetes Care

Consistent with the prediction from anatomical data, we show that inhibition derived from the collaterals of projection neurons in the SNr is sparse and has little to no effect on tonic baseline firing.

eLife

It's quite brutal – sparse, straight to the point and with no padding – but Upton deliberately doesn't try to explain too much and offers the audience a curious ambiguity.

The Guardian

This is partly related to localised syn- and post-depositional processes unrelated to eruption source dynamics, but also due to spatial heterogeneities in data, with data clustering and areas with sparse or no data contributing to increase uncertainty related to constructing isopach maps.

Bulletin of Volcanology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "sparse to no", ensure the context clearly indicates what is lacking or minimal. For instance, specify "sparse to no evidence" or "sparse to no attendance".

Common error

Avoid using "sparse to no" when a stronger term like "absent" or "nonexistent" is more accurate. "Sparse to no" suggests some minimal presence, while the other options indicate complete absence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sparse to no" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a noun or pronoun. It indicates the degree or extent to which something is present or available. Ludwig AI confirms its correct and usable form in written English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "sparse to no" is a grammatically correct and usable way to describe a situation where something is present in a very small quantity, bordering on non-existence. Ludwig AI confirms this. It is most frequently found in scientific and news contexts, suggesting a formal or neutral register. While synonyms like "minimal to none" or "little to no" exist, "sparse to no" emphasizes the thin and scattered presence, highlighting a near-absence. When writing, ensure the context clarifies what is scarce and consider if a stronger term like "absent" might be more accurate. Overall, "sparse to no" is useful when nuance matters.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minimal to none

Emphasizes the extremely small quantity, approaching zero.

scant to none

Highlights the insufficiency and near absence.

little to none

A common and straightforward alternative, indicating a small quantity approaching zero.

negligible to nonexistent

Stresses the insignificance or complete absence of something.

rare to absent

Focuses on the infrequency and potential complete absence.

infrequent to absent

Similar to 'rare to absent', but emphasizes frequency.

limited to none

Highlights the restricted availability or complete absence.

meager to absent

Underscores the deficiency and potential absence.

virtually nonexistent

Implies that something is so close to zero as to not matter.

almost absent

Focuses on the near-total lack of something.

FAQs

What does "sparse to no" mean?

The phrase "sparse to no" means that something exists in a very small quantity, bordering on non-existence. It indicates a minimal presence or occurrence.

How can I use "sparse to no" in a sentence?

You can use "sparse to no" to describe data, evidence, attendance or any other measurable quantity. For example, "There was "little to no" data supporting that hypothesis."

What are some alternatives to "sparse to no"?

Alternatives include "minimal to none", "scant to none", or "negligible to nonexistent", depending on the specific context and desired emphasis.

Is it better to say "sparse to no" or "little to no"?

Both phrases are grammatically correct and commonly used. The choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey. "Sparse to no" emphasizes the thin or scattered nature of what's present, while "little to no" focuses on the small quantity.