frugality

American  

[froo-gal-i-tee] / fruˈgæl ɪ ti /

Also frugalness

noun

1. the quality of being frugal, or prudent in saving; the lack of wastefulness.

   Many people who have lived through periods of economic deprivation develop lifelong habits of frugality and are almost never tempted by wasteful consumption.

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Other Word Forms

• nonfrugality noun
• overfrugality noun
• unfrugality noun

Etymology

Origin of frugality

First recorded in 1525–35; from French frugalité, from Latin frūgālitāt-, stem of frūgālitās, equivalent to frūgāli(s) “economic” + -tās -ty ² ( def. ); frugal ( def. )

Example Sentences

When the sage tells her that a wise man possesses three treasures, compassion, frugality and humility, Ishmaelle wonders if she has those qualities.

From Los Angeles Times

Hanne had not been amused by the frugality that characterized our 18 months in New York, a city then and now where some spending money makes a big difference in the quality of life.

From Barron's

You learn where splurging matters to you — good olive oil and great bread, perhaps — and where frugality feels easy rather than punitive.

From Salon

If the cultural mood continues tilting toward frugality and retreat, companies that built strategies on steady upward mobility may need to revise expectations.

From MarketWatch

The frugality of the middle-class customer figures as a recurring theme in recent corporate earnings reports.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• moderation
• prudence
• thrift