Parsimonious
Some budgets are careful; this adjective is for when saving a dollar costs two in goodwill.
Learn This WordMeaning
Unwilling to spend money or use resources; excessively frugal or stingy.
Memory trick
PARSI-MONIOUS: think "pars" = parts; giving only tiny parts, very stingy.
Examples
Their parsimonious budget policy slowed hiring despite strong demand.
A parsimonious model can outperform larger ones on constrained hardware.
He was so parsimonious with praise that one compliment felt huge.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin parsimonia "thrift," from parcere "to spare."
Usage Notes
Can be negative ("stingy") or technical/neutral ("parsimonious model" in science/ML).
Real-life contexts
Use in planning: "Be parsimonious with scope, not quality."
Use in modeling: "Prefer the parsimonious explanation first."
Use in critique: "The compensation policy feels overly parsimonious."
Common Mistakes
Parsimonious does not always mean wise saving; often implies excessive reluctance.
Master This Word
Add "parsimonious" to your vocabulary and practice with AI & smart flashcards!
Start LearningQuick Facts
Part of Speech
adjective
Difficulty
advancedMonthly Searches
~19,000