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

Agency for International Development while sparing the Pentagon significant cuts.

From Salon

If this process is caught in time, RA may be prevented before joint damage begins -- potentially sparing patients years of pain and disability.

From Science Daily

I was not sparing any horses during a recent 350-mile tour of eastern North Carolina and I was seeing efficiencies that penciled out to more than 300 miles between charges.

From The Wall Street Journal

When At-211 is positioned within or near tumors, its alpha emissions penetrate just deep enough to eliminate cancerous cells while sparing surrounding organs.

From Science Daily

While the court deliberates, both sides are left sparing over how many children will go hungry if the other prevails.

From Los Angeles Times