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frugality

frugality

8 5.8
Careful use of money and things to avoid waste
  • noun
  • /fruːˈɡæləti/
translation icon : frugalidad
  • He learned the value of frugality after realizing how much money he wasted on unnecessary things.
  • industry and frugality
  • frugality and perseverance
  • honesty and frugality

In general, when it comes to money in America, the vast majority of people know and like frugality.

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Examples

  • Following this logic, the middle classes emphasized the importance of industry, regularity, frugality, and other similar virtues as their "calling" in life.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Moreover, the family tradition of frugality must be observed somehow.

    Academic text (2007)
  • It's good advice, and the kind of frugality noted time and time again in the book

    Blog text (15)
  • For a portion of the dying American middle class, frugality has turned into a life purpose.

    Blog text (1)
  • Imagine the incentives to frugality and sound money management that this would provide!

    Blog text (8)
  • It's an excellent point to highlight that frugality will never get you "rich" in the traditional monetary sense.

    Blog text (34)
  • For Bill, perhaps frugality means safety, and Marge's position feels threatening.

    Academic text (2011)
  • But when it comes down to it, Jacob's focus is frugality and mine is increased earning.

    Blog text (27)
  • As Americans enter a period of frugality to rebuild their household balance sheets, they will buy less of what Asia produces.

    Academic text (2009)
  • Rather than pursuing the frugality fitting to their station, the middle class might ruin itself through competitive materialism.

    Academic text (1990)

Synonyms

economy
vsfrugality
54 3.1

Careful use of time, money, or effort to avoid waste

is more narrowly about personal careful use of money and resources
thrift
vsfrugality
19 3.8

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

refers to the broader quality rather than only the habitual practice
parsimony
vsfrugality
2 9.9

A strong habit of not spending money or using resources

is a neutral carefulness that does not imply excessive or unkind refusal
thriftiness
vsfrugality
1 5.0

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

applies to the same careful practice but across more situations
economism
vsfrugality
  • Archaic
9.9

An old word for careful use of money to save and avoid waste

is the same idea but expressed in modern neutral language
frugalness
vsfrugality
6.8

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

is the general quality of careful resource management rather than the term

Antonyms

7 6.8

Spending a lot of money in a wasteful way

1 4.6

Using money or things carelessly in a way that causes extra loss

How Frugal

parsimony
2 9.9
thrift
19 3.8
frugality
8 5.8
extravagance
7 6.8
wastefulness
1 4.6

Surface Forms

frugality singular
frugalities plural

Morphology

frugality = frugal (transparent) = frugal + ity

Derived from the adjective 'frugal' with the nominalizing suffix '-ity'; the meaning ('quality of being frugal') follows standard formation and is directly predictable.

Etymology

Frugality comes from the Latin root frug-, meaning 'fruit' or 'useful', and is related to the English word fruit. Think of it as using your 'fruit' carefully, saving what you have and avoiding waste, so frugality means being careful with money or resources.