sparse /spɑːs $ spɑːrs/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: sparsus 'spread out' , from the past participle of spargere 'to scatter' ]
existing only in small amounts:
his sparse brown hair
rural areas with sparse populations
—sparsely adverb :
a sparsely populated area
—sparseness noun [uncountable]