parsimonious
Americanadjective
Synonym Usage
See stingy 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parsimonious
First recorded in 1590–1600; parsimon(y) + -ious
Explanation
A parsimonious person is unwilling to spend a lot of money. You know those people who count up every penny when it's time to split a restaurant bill? You can call them parsimonious. Or cheap. Stingy is the most common and general synonym of parsimonious, but there are many other near synonyms, including thrifty, frugal, penurious, niggardly, penny-pinching, miserly, tight-fisted, tight. The adjective parsimonious was formed in English from the noun parsimony, "the quality of being careful in spending." It is a combination of the Latin verb parcere, "to spare," plus an Old French suffix –ous, "having the quality of."
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
James argues that this explanation is more parsimonious than assuming the brain contains what he calls "a higher-level, central controller that monitors and regulates sensory and motor processes."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
Sir Michael rolled his eyes when asked about his annual listing as Wales' richest person, and said his "very parsimonious" mother, Doris, would bring him back down to earth.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2026
Corporate road warriors say European companies can be even more parsimonious.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 30, 2026
Advisers can try to reason with a parsimonious client.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2025
She found a man who was not as parsimonious as my father and they moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, which is two thousand five hundred miles away.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
