paucity

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈpɔsɪti/ UK /ˈpɔːsɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities

A paucity of rain that summer left the crops withered and brown.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the presence of something... scarcity dearth shortage lack insufficiencysparsenessdeficiency

Opposites

abundance plenty surplus glut

Word family

Related forms paucepaucal

Simplified etymology

Paucity is recorded from late Middle English and comes from Latin paucus “small.” Paucus shares an ancient root with English few.

Etymology

From Middle English paucite, from Old French paucite, from Latin paucitas ('fewness'), from paucus ('few, little').

paucitas Latin paucus Latin *peh₂w- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# paucity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɔsɪti/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɔːsɪti/

## Meanings
1. the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities

## Examples
- A paucity of rain that summer left the crops withered and brown.

## Synonyms
- scarcity
- dearth
- shortage
- lack
- insufficiency
- sparseness
- deficiency

## Antonyms
- abundance
- plenty
- surplus
- glut

## Related Forms
- pauce
- paucal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: paucitas
- Root: paucus
- Root: *peh₂w-

## Etymology
From Middle English paucite, from Old French paucite, from Latin paucitas ('fewness'), from paucus ('few, little').

## AI Etymology
Paucity comes from Middle English paucite, from Old French paucite, from Latin paucitas ('fewness'), from paucus ('few, little'). The form is best read as a historical transfer or inheritance, with its older language material carrying the main semantic load. As a noun, it denotes "the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities", keeping the historical idea close to its dictionary sense. Relevant historical forms include Latin paucitas, Latin paucus, and Proto-Indo-European *peh₂w-. Related words include pauce, paucal.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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