sparsely used vs used sparsely

Both 'sparsely used' and 'used sparsely' are correct phrases, but they are used in slightly different contexts. 'Sparsely used' is more commonly used and refers to something that is not used frequently or in small amounts. 'Used sparsely' is less common and emphasizes the limited or scarce use of something.

Last updated: April 13, 2024 • 279 views

sparsely used

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

'Sparsely used' is used to describe something that is not used frequently or in small amounts.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jun 26, 2012 ... We consider the problem of learning sparsely used dictionaries with an arbitrary square dictionary and a random, sparse coefficient matrix. We ...
We consider the problem of learning sparsely used overcomplete dictionaries, where each observa- tion is a sparse combination of elements from an unknown ...
Nov 3, 2021 ... McCormick Place casino proposal looks to change luck at 'sparsely used' Lakeside Center. The proposal — one of two Chicago casino bids ...
assumption (A6), and thus we obtain a full recovery result for the sparsely used dictionary problem with assumptions only on the model parameters.

Alternatives:

rarely used
infrequently used
sparingly used
scarcely used
minimally used

used sparsely

This phrase is correct but less commonly used in English.

'Used sparsely' emphasizes the limited or scarce use of something.

Show examples from the web [+]

This skin tries to present the portal in a pleasing grayscale layout. Some graphics are used to support the appearance. But in general they are used sparsely.
... already in clinical trials and two - vemurafenib and venetoclax - are on the market, but the approach has been used sparsely in the tuberculosis field.
Meat was traditionally used sparsely or only by the well off until recently, because of economic conditions and culture. The urban population in metropolitan ...
The military death penalty has been used sparsely outside times of war. Only a few individuals are on the military death row, which is based at Fort ...
The South African "Red Ensign" used unofficially as a de facto national flag until 1928; it continued being used sparsely in limited contexts until the ...
Dec 26, 2022 ... The laptop is used sparsely, usually closing it rather than powering it off. The other day we opened it up and it won't come on.
Special tools and supplies used sparsely are always out of stock when needed… Operators are wasting time looking for tools…
The beads may be used sparsely, scattered across the front of the bag for a subtle accent. 0. 0. Many empaths find a physical solution to the flood of ...
Nov 17, 2018 ... Over the last decade, the school has been used sparsely. Angela Usher, representing Polk County Schools, came before the commission in ...
The Commission's authority to issue a decision on a particular charge remains, although it has been used sparsely in recent years.

Alternatives:

used sparingly
used minimally
used scarcely
used infrequently
used rarely

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