Word of the Day - 11/29/25
paucity
/'pɔsɪti/(n.): an insufficient quantity or number
The paucity of sprinkles on my sundae motivated me to leave a poor Yelp review.
Word Origin
The word 'paucity' originates from Late Latin 'paucitās', meaning 'fewness' or 'scarcity'. This noun is derived from the Latin adjective 'paucus', meaning 'few' or 'little'. 'Paucus', combined with the Latin suffix '-itās' (which corresponds to the English '-ity'), yields 'paucity', meaning the state of being few or little.
Words with similar origins include 'pauper', which comes directly from Latin 'pauper' (poor), itself related to 'paucus'. The English word 'poor' also ultimately traces back to the same Latin root via Old French 'povre' and Latin 'pauper'.