What is the meaning of the word paucity in the excerpt below?
The review committee pointed to the paucity of longitudinal empirical data on adolescent social media use, urging funding agencies to support ten-year cohort studies.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. scarcity or presence in only small amounts
- Step 1: Examine context: the committee urged new funding because existing longitudinal data was deficient.
- Step 2: 'Paucity' means the presence of something in only small or insufficient quantities or amounts; scarcity.
Answer
scarcity or presence in only small amounts.
Why not the others: 'overwhelming abundance and surplus of evidence' is the direct antonym (plethora); 'complete factual fabrication and fraudulence' refers to dishonesty rather than scarcity; 'prohibitive financial expense of collection' relates to financial cost rather than availability.
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