parsimony
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parsimony
- /ˈpɑːsɪməni/ UK
- /ˈpɑɹsəˌmoʊni/ US
Where it comes from
From Late Middle English parcimonie, parcimony (“economy, frugality, thrift”), borrowed from Latin parcimōnia, parsimōnia (“frugality, thrift, parsimony; moderation, restraint; stinginess”), from pars- (the past participial stem of parcō (“to economize, save up; etc.”)) + -mōnia (suffix forming abstract nouns). The further etymology of parcō is uncertain; it is possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó (“away; off”) + *h₂erk- (“to hold; to guard, protect; to lock”).
noun parsimonies
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With a negative connotation: great reluctance to spend money or other resources; miserliness, stinginess; (countable) an instance of this.
[T]he fauour of Princes and Magiſtrates noryſheth, augmenteth, and amplyfyeth all artes and ſciences by liberalitie, and extynguyſheth the ſame by miſerable couetouſnes and parcimonie.
Similar: tightness
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With a positive connotation: careful spending of money or other resources; frugality, thrift; (countable) an instance of this.
[T]he feeble and vveake complexion of our bodies; hath at al times ſerued as a ſoueraigne aduertiſement, to the holie life of ſobrietie and parſimonie.
Similar: economy, sparingness, thriftiness
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The quality of not generously giving, showing, or using something intangible, such as emotion, praise, or words.
By this rememberance of that uſual parſimony in ovvners of VVit, tovvards ſuch as vvould make uſe of their plenty, I lament the fortune of others, and may vvith the Reader to congratulate mine; […]
Similar: economy, sparingness, thriftiness
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Chiefly in law of parsimony, principle of parsimony, etc.: the quality or characteristic of using the fewest facts or resources to explain a situation or to solve a problem.
Now it is manifest, that, against the assumption of a special principle, which this doctrine makes, there exists a primary presumption of philosophy. This is the law of Parcimony, which forbids, without necessity, the multiplication of entities, powers, principles, or causes; above all, the postulat
Similar: economy, sparingness, thriftiness, efficiency, frugality
Translations
Every language
noun with a negative connotation: great reluctance to spend money or other resources unnecessarily; an instance of this — see also miserliness, stinginess
| Español | parsimonia |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 出し惜しみ dashioshimi, 吝嗇 rinshoku |
| 中文 | 吝嗇 /吝啬 lìnsè |
| Português | parcimónia, parcimônia |
| Français | parcimonie |
| Deutsch | Geiz, Knauserei, Pfennigfuchserei, Sparsamkeit |
| Română | parcimonie, cumpătare |
| Русский | бережли́вость berežlívostʹ, скря́жничество skrjážničestvo, ску́пость skúpostʹ |
| עברית | הִתְקַמְצְנוּת hitkamtzenút |
noun quality or characteristic of using the fewest facts or resources to explain a situation or to solve a problem
| 中文 | 節儉 /节俭 jiéjiǎn |
|---|---|
| Français | économie |
| Deutsch | Parsimonie, Sparsamkeit |
| Română | parcimonie, cumpătare |
| Русский | практичность praktičnostʹ |
Talk about this word "parsimony." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/parsimony. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. parsimony. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/parsimony "parsimony." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/parsimony.Cite this
@misc{parsimony_2026,
title = {parsimony},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/parsimony},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
