as in shortage
a falling short of an essential or desirable amount or number
a paucity of useful answers to the problem of traffic congestion at rush hour
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Recent Examples of paucity
Both teams faced the same challenge in their quest to understand how cats came to sit on mats—namely, a paucity of archaeologic evidence through time.
—
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
What connects those three results is the notion that at the season's halfway mark, there appears to be a paucity of pigskin dominance across a league where teams toggle between looking superb and sliding, varying on the week.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
But the indictments are startling for their paucity compared with the charges described in Patel’s boasts.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
Rather, her photos, documents and collages point to the extreme paucity of surviving evidence and the utter impossibility of a cohesive, factual narrative.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 27 Nov. 2025
What connects those three results is the notion that at the season's halfway mark, there appears to be a paucity of pigskin dominance across a league where teams toggle between looking superb and sliding, varying on the week.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 3 Nov. 2025
But the indictments are startling for their paucity compared with the charges described in Patel’s boasts.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Oct. 2025
Rather, her photos, documents and collages point to the extreme paucity of surviving evidence and the utter impossibility of a cohesive, factual narrative.
—Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for paucity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for paucity
Noun
-
Joining Air New Zealand just as the COVID-19 pandemic loomed, Foran tackled a series of crises, from persistent shortages of engine components to the grounding of up to 11 aircraft.—
Alexander Coolidge,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Several others were wounded and taken for treatment in Rahad, which faces severe medical supplies shortages like many areas in the Kordofan region, the statement said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There should be empathy for his injury, but no sympathy for his lack of production.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Other experts said the subject’s movement could illustrate a lack of urgency.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Paucity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/paucity. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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