sparing

American  

[spair-ing] / ˈspɛər ɪŋ /

adjective

1. economical (often followed by in orof ).

   Synonyms:

   penurious, saving, frugal

2. lenient or merciful.

3. scanty; limited.

   Synonyms:

   sparse, meager

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sparing British  

/ ˈspɛərɪŋ /

adjective

1. economical or frugal (with)

2. scanty; meagre

3. merciful or lenient

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Other Word Forms

• nonsparing adjective
• oversparing adjective
• oversparingness noun
• sparingly adverb
• sparingness noun

Etymology

Origin of sparing

A Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; spare, -ing ²

Example Sentences

In December, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted her diversion due to mental health issues, sparing her potential jail time.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The paper 'Experimental glycopeptide antibiotic EVG7 prevents recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection by sparing members of the Lachnospiraceae family' was published in Nature Communications.

From Science Daily • Mar. 11, 2026

After Wood and his attorneys presented their case for sparing Wood’s life, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency in a 3–2 vote.

From Slate • Mar. 6, 2026

"Here its just material damage, money can fix it all. There, money can't fix life", he said, sparing a thought for the members of his community who lost relatives.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

Vivi holds up her silvery gray dress, with its tattered edges, sparing a smile for me.

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black