parsimonious
par-sih-MOH-nee-us
/ˌpɑːrsɪˈmoʊniəs/
Extremely unwilling to spend money or use resources; excessively frugal or sparing.
Carries a strong negative connotation, implying stinginess or meanness. It's about being too careful with money, often to the detriment of oneself or others, unlike 'frugal' which is positive.
The story behind the word. The word 'parsimonious' comes from the Latin 'parsimonia,' meaning 'frugality, thrift,' which is derived from 'parcere,' meaning 'to spare, to be sparing.' While the Latin root initially had a neutral or even positive sense of sparingness, the English 'parsimonious' evolved to emphasize the excessive or unwilling nature of that sparing, giving it its strong negative connotation of stinginess. It's a great example of how a word's meaning can shift over time!
Word relationships
- stingy: Unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous. More informal than 'parsimonious'.
- miserly: Of or characteristic of a miser; unwilling to spend money. Strong negative connotation, often implying hoarding.
- penurious: Extremely poor; poverty-stricken. Also, extremely parsimonious or frugal.
- generous: Showing a readiness to give more of something, especially money, than is strictly necessary or expected.
- lavish: Sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious; spending or giving very generously.
- extravagant: Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.
Commonly confused with
- frugal: 'Parsimonious' is a negative trait, describing someone excessively unwilling to spend, often to the point of meanness. 'Frugal' is a positive trait, describing someone careful and economical with money without being stingy.
Word family
- parsimony (noun): Extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources.
- parsimoniously (adverb): In a parsimonious manner.
Collocations
- parsimonious landlord
- parsimonious nature
- parsimonious budget
- parsimonious spending
Example sentences
- "Despite his immense wealth, the old man was notoriously parsimonious, refusing to contribute to charity or even buy new clothes." Describing a person's negative financial trait.
- "The company's parsimonious approach to employee benefits led to low morale and high turnover." A company's stingy policies.
- "Critics argued that the government's parsimonious funding for education would have long-term negative consequences." A critical assessment of resource allocation.
Memory hook
A PARSIMONIOUS person is PAINFULLY sparing. PAINFULLY sparing
When not to use
Do not use 'parsimonious' if you intend to convey a positive quality of careful spending; use 'frugal' or 'thrifty' instead.
Fun facts
- The principle of 'Occam's Razor' is sometimes referred to as the 'law of parsimony,' suggesting that the simplest explanation is usually the best, implying a 'sparing' use of assumptions.
Explore more words
penurious, extravagant, extravagance, penury, impecunious, parasitic
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