thrift

American  

[thrift] / θrɪft /

noun

1. economical management; economy; frugality.

   My father valued thrift, hard work, and self-sufficiency.

   Memories of her thrift and capability inspire me.

2. Also called thrift institution.  Banking. a savings and loan association, savings bank, or credit union.

   To help the thrifts survive, Congress deregulated the industry, lifting restrictions on the kinds of loans they could make.

3. 1. Also called sea pink.  any alpine and maritime plant belonging to the genus Armeria, of the leadwort family, having pink or white flowers, especially A. maritima, noted for its vigorous growth.

   2. any of various similar or related plants.

4. vigorous growth, as of a plant.

5. Obsolete. prosperity.

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verb (used with object)

1. to buy secondhand, as at a thrift store.

   I thrifted these purple suede pumps for ten bucks.

thrift British  

/ θrɪft /

noun

1. wisdom and caution in the management of money

2. Also called: sea pink.  any of numerous perennial plumbaginaceous low-growing plants of the genus Armeria, esp A. maritima, of Europe, W Asia, and North America, having narrow leaves and round heads of pink or white flowers

3. rare vigorous thriving or growth, as of a plant

4. a building society, savings bank, or credit union

5. an obsolete word for prosperity

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Other Word Forms

• nonthrift
  adjective
• thriftless
  adjective
• thriftlessly
  adverb
• thriftlessness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of thrift

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old Norse: “well-being, prosperity”; cf. thrive

Explanation

Thrift means being very careful about how much money you spend. Reusing the same tea bag ten times so as not to waste money is a kind of thrift. The word thrift originally referred to fortune and has come to mean the act of being economical; a thrifty person, or someone who practices thrift, is likely to be fortunate in the sense that he has savings. At a thrift store, you will find inexpensive clothing. You probably don’t want to exercise thrift when deciding on something important, like which brain surgeon to use. You may also find thrift on sunlit mountaintops, in the form of a slender-leaved plant with pink flowers.

Example Sentences

The plan is less ambitious than earlier proposals, such as expanding federal Thrift Savings Plan access or reviving myRA accounts.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Thrift stores that sell a wider variety of items are stocked with potential gifts beyond clothing.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 19, 2025

One upside to online resale is easy access to information about past transactions, says Virginia Chamlee, author of “Big Thrift Energy.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 8, 2025

In Altadena, where one sign expresses both a wish and a promise — “Beautiful Altadena…The Rose Will Bloom Again” — businesses are reopening, including Full Circle Thrift.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2025

They bought groceries up the hill at the Thrift Market because they could not stand the reproving eyes of Lee Chong.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• austerity
• frugality
• prudence