Meanings
plural fewnesses
- uncountableusuallyThe state, quality, or condition of being few.
They on the hill, which were not yet come to blows, perceiving the fewness of their enemies, came down amain.
1670, John Milton, The History of Britain, that Part especially now called England; from the first traditional Beginning, continued to the Norman Conquest. Collected out of the antientest and best Authours thereof, The Second Book1 more example
There are, says the Irish triad, 'three fewnesses that are better than plenty: a fewness of fine words; a fewness of cows on grass; a fewness of good friends around good ale'. As an Ulsterman I would agree.
2000, David Pierce, Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century: A Reader, page 625Synonyms: paucity, scantiness
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe state, quality, or condition of being few.
Origin
Translations
Arabic قِلَّة
- قِلَّة (qilla)state of being few
Bulgarian малобро́йност
- малобро́йност (malobrójnost)state of being few
Esperanto malmulteco
- malmultecostate of being few
Finnish vähyys
- vähyysstate of being few
Irish laghad
- laghadstate of being few
Latin paucitās
- paucitāsstate of being few
Portuguese pouquidade
- pouquidadestate of being few
Russian малочи́сленность
- малочи́сленность (maločíslennostʹ)state of being few
Swedish fåtalighet
- fåtalighetstate of being few
Cite this entry
fewness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fewness
“fewness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fewness. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fewness,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fewness.
Source: fewness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.