parsimony
[ pahr-suh-moh-nee ]
/ ˈpɑr səˌmoʊ ni /
Save This Word!
noun
extreme or excessive economy or frugality; stinginess; niggardliness.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Origin of parsimony
1400–50; late Middle English parcimony<Latin parsimōnia, parcimōnia frugality, thrift, equivalent to parsi- (combining form of parsus, past participle of parcere to economize) or parci- (combining form of parcus sparing) + -mōnia-mony
Words nearby parsimony
parser, pars granulosa, Parsha, Parsifal, parsimonious, parsimony, pars intermedia, parsley, parsley family, parsley fern, parsley piert
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for parsimony
British Dictionary definitions for parsimony
parsimony
/ (ˈpɑːsɪmənɪ) /
noun
extreme care or reluctance in spending; frugality; niggardliness
Derived forms of parsimony
parsimonious (ˌpɑːsɪˈməʊnɪəs), adjectiveparsimoniously, adverbWord Origin for parsimony
C15: from Latin parcimōnia, from parcere to spare
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012