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parsimony

parsimony

2 9.9
A strong habit of not spending money or using resources
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑr.sɪ.mə.ni/
translation icon : tacañería
  • Her parsimony was evident when she refused to buy new clothes despite having plenty of money.
  • parsimony principle
  • sake of parsimony
  • parsimony method

Examples

  • The company's parsimony in its budget allocation led to cutting important projects.

  • The risk, of course, is to sacrifice parsimony in an effort to account for all factors at play.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In the interest of parsimony, I focused on students' first and highest credential earned.

    Academic text (2009)
  • The hypothesis of rational choice, in contrast, has the great virtue of parsimony.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Many researchers do this unwittingly by following the explicit parsimony principle of psychology article writing.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Because of its parsimony and cultural appropriateness, we adopted the five-factor structure in the present analysis.

    Academic text (1997)
  • In addition, Occam's razor, the longstanding scientific principle of parsimony, argues for keeping explanations as simple as possible.

    Academic text (1990)
  • His parsimony made it difficult for his friends to convince him to spend money on group outings.

Synonyms

thrift
vsparsimony
19 3.8

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

is more extreme, showing unwillingness beyond careful use
meanness
vsparsimony
2 6.7

Not willing to spend money or share things

is the neutral label for that same harsh refusal to spend
penny-pinching
vsparsimony
  • Informal
1 7.5

A strong unwillingness to spend money

is the broader idea of extreme refusal to spend money
stinginess
vsparsimony
1 6.8

A habit of not wanting to give or spend money

is the more formal or technical term for that same reluctance
thriftiness
vsparsimony
1 5.0

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

is stronger, implying refusal rather than prudent saving
miserliness
vsparsimony
1 8.2

Not wanting to spend money, even on small things you need

is the broader term for that excessive avoidance of spending
niggardness
vsparsimony
  • Archaic
9.9

Not wanting to spend money or share things

is the common label for that same extreme refusal to spend
parsimoniousness
vsparsimony
9.9

A strong dislike of spending money or using things

is the standard single-word expression for that very tight attitude
penuriousness
vsparsimony
  • Formal
9.9

A strong unwillingness to spend money

is the general term used for that very strong reluctance
niggardliness
vsparsimony
  • Archaic
9.9

Extreme unwillingness to give or spend money

is the main term covering that same excessive reluctance
tightfistedness
vsparsimony
  • Offensive
8.6

Being unwilling to spend money, even when needed

is the general concept of extreme refusal to use resources
tightness
vsparsimony
  • Offensive
8.8

Not willing to spend money or give things to others

is the overarching idea of extreme unwillingness to spend resources
minginess
vsparsimony
  • UK
9.9

Not wanting to spend money or share with others

is the single-word concept that denotes that same excess
mingy behavior
vsparsimony
  • UK
9.1

Not giving money or help when others expect it

is the abstract quality naming that same reluctant behaviour
closeness
vsparsimony
  • Archaic
8.6

Refusal to spend money or share with others

is the more widely used term for that extreme unwillingness
frugalness
vsparsimony
6.8

Careful use of money and things to avoid waste

is harsher, indicating a near refusal to use resources
economism
vsparsimony
  • Archaic
9.9

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

is the modern common term for extreme refusal to spend

Antonyms

128 2.1

Being kind and ready to give money, time, or help to others

1 7.0

Being ready to give money, help or time to other people

Compounds

law of parsimony
  • Specialized
7.6

A rule that says to choose the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions

An idea that, among different explanations, you should choose the simplest one

How Stingy

parsimony
2 9.9
stinginess
1 6.8
frugality
8 5.8
thrift
19 3.8

Surface Forms

parsimony singular
parsimonies plural

Morphology

parsimony = parsimon + y

The element 'parsimon-' is not a productive or recognizable English base, so learners cannot derive the meaning 'stinginess' from familiar morphemes.

Etymology

Parsimony comes from the Latin word parsimonia, from an idea meaning 'to spare'. So, like the English word spare, parsimony means being very 'careful with money' or stingy.