Paucity: Definition & Meaning for the SAT
⚡️ PAUCITY most nearly means: (A) scarcity; (B) abundance; (C) quality; (D) confusion. 👉 Answer + examples, pronunciation, and full SAT explanation inside.
TL;DR — Paucity means a lack or scarcity of something. Common SAT distractors: abundance, quality, confusion.
ℹ️ Part of Speech of Paucity
paucity is a NOUN.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Paucity
paucity is pronounced /ˈpɔː.sɪ.ti/ or PAW-sih-tee.
📚️ Definition of paucity
An insufficient quantity or number; a scarcity or lack of something. Example: a paucity of evidence in a court case.
📰 Examples
Here are some examples of paucity in usage:
The paucity of affordable housing in Silicon Valley has forced many tech workers to live in cramped or shared accommodations. (While driving six-figure cars in some cases!)
There was a paucity of vegetarian options at the Roadhouse BBQ restaurant—just some Kansas City-style tofu that no one had the courage to order.
There often seems to be a paucity of common sense in laws, traffic, and commerce.
✅ Quiz answer
Answer to the question above:
A, scarcity. Explanations: B doesn't work; abundance means a large quantity or plentiful supply—the exact opposite of paucity. C is incorrect; quality refers to the standard or degree of excellence of something, not its quantity. D doesn't fit; confusion means a lack of understanding or certainty, which has nothing to do with scarcity.