Exiguities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being small or cramped in size or space; the limitations imposed by a confined or reduced area; an instance or example of restricted dimensions or narrowed capacity
2. Conditions characterized by a lack of spaciousness or room to maneuver; situations describing the constraints caused by smallness in a given environment; occurrences demonstrating the challenges of limited spatial resources
3. Factors reflecting the drawbacks of insufficient space or area; aspects indicating the difficulties arising from being confined in size; specific situations showing the realities of limited physical environment

Etymology: "Exiguities" is the plural of "exiguity," a noun for scarcity or smallness, and the plural form is used for the particular limits or small dimensions of a cramped space. The singular has the same root as "exiguous," meaning scanty or meagre, which comes from the Latin "exiguus," meaning small, slight or scanty. The noun passed into English by way of Middle French "exiguite," itself drawn from the Late Latin "exiguitas," which carried the same sense of smallness. The Latin "exiguus" is built from "exigere," to drive out or to weigh and measure exactly, so the underlying idea is something driven to a fine measure, reduced to a minimum.

Synonyms: crampness, tightness, narrowness, constriction

Antonyms: spaciousness, expansiveness