parsimony
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of parsimony
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English parcimony, from 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
Explanation
Parsimony is a noun to use when you are watching your money very carefully. So you're not just saving your pennies for a rainy day — you're clipping coupons, re-using dryer sheets, and refusing to pay full price for anything. It's not a bad thing to engage in a little parsimony. Related to an ancient Latin word meaning "to spare," parsimony keeps your checking account in the black and your retirement plan well funded. But get a little too parsimonious and you might start to look like Uncle Scrooge — an old miser who learned the hard way that practicing extreme parsimony doesn't win you love and admiration.
Vocabulary lists containing parsimony
"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry
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"The Gift of the Magi"
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"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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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.
Parsimony alone would suggest that Wilson is the anomaly here, unless of course he has discovered some important new information.
From Washington Post • Dec. 28, 2017
Parsimony and model-based analyses of indels in avian nuclear genes reveal congruent and incongruent phylogenetic signals.
From Scientific American • Jan. 27, 2014
Parsimony as well: Bush's request of $14.6 billion for fiscal 1990, which began Oct.
From Time Magazine Archive
The Welfare of his Troops and Glory of his Arms were to depend on Generals of the Minister's Appointment, whose Weakness and sordid Parsimony, occasioned several very ignominious Miscarriages to the Kofirans.
From The Amours of Zeokinizul, King of the Kofirans Translated from the Arabic of the famous Traveller Krinelbol by Crébillon, Claude Prosper Jolyot de
A little later Norton reminded them of Hamilton’s Law of Parsimony, the application of which they immediately claimed for every reasoning process of theirs.
From Martin Eden by London, Jack
Definitions 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.
