Standard Lemma guide

parsimonious

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pɑː.sɪˈməʊ.ni.əs/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /pɑɹ.sɪˈmoʊ.ni.əs/
  • rhymes with -əʊniəs
  • CMU ARPABET: P AA2 R S AH0 M OW1 N IY0 AH0 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Exhibiting parsimony; sparing in the expenditure of money; frugal, possibly to excess.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penurious, thrifty, stingy, pennywise, tight-fisted, abstemious, canny, chary, moderate, cheap, close with a buck, economic, economical, frugal, husbandly, huswifely, parsimonious, penny-pinching, prudent, spareful, sparing, spary, tight, tightwad, as tight as Dick's hatband, cheeseparing, chintzy, close, close as wax, close-fisted, illiberal, mean, miserable, miserly, narrow-fisted, niggardly, nipcheese, peddling, penny-wise, scrooge-like, scrubby, shabby, still got one's communion money, swear, tight as a tick, tighter than Dick's hatband, ungenerous, ungiving

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Not conceding many goals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

excessively unwilling to spend

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • parsimonious thrift relieved by few generous impulses
  • lived in a most penurious manner--denying himself every indulgence

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penurious

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English parsimony Proto-Indo-European *h3ed- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *h3édosder.? Proto-Italic *-ŏ̄dsos? Old Latin -ōssus Latin -ōsus Old French -usbor. Middle English -ous English -ous English parsimonious From parsimony + -ous.

Across languages

Translations

48 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: parsimoniós — exhibiting parsimony
  • Chinese Mandarin: 小氣 /小气 (xiǎoqì) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Czech: spořivý — exhibiting parsimony
  • Czech: lakomý — exhibiting parsimony
  • Czech: skoupý — exhibiting parsimony
  • Czech: škudlivý — exhibiting parsimony
  • Czech: skrblivý — exhibiting parsimony
  • Dutch: zuinig — exhibiting parsimony
  • Dutch: gierig — exhibiting parsimony
  • Estonian: säästlik — exhibiting parsimony
  • Estonian: kokkuhoidlik — exhibiting parsimony
  • Estonian: majanduslik — exhibiting parsimony
  • Finnish: kitsas — exhibiting parsimony
  • Finnish: pihi — exhibiting parsimony
  • French: pincé — exhibiting parsimony
  • French: avare — exhibiting parsimony
  • French: parcimonieux — exhibiting parsimony
  • German: sparsam — exhibiting parsimony
  • German: geizig — exhibiting parsimony
  • German: karg — exhibiting parsimony
  • German: knauserig — exhibiting parsimony
  • German: kniepig — exhibiting parsimony
  • Greek: φειδωλός (feidolós) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Greek: οικονόμος (oikonómos) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Ancient Greek: φειδωλός (pheidōlós) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Irish: sprionlaithe — exhibiting parsimony
  • Italian: parsimonioso — exhibiting parsimony
  • Māori: moānanga — exhibiting parsimony
  • Māori: kukumomo — exhibiting parsimony
  • Māori: tūmatarau — exhibiting parsimony
  • Norwegian: sparsom — exhibiting parsimony
  • Norwegian: økonomisk — exhibiting parsimony
  • Norwegian: gnien — exhibiting parsimony
  • Norwegian: beskjeden — exhibiting parsimony
  • Persian: خسیس (xasis) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Portuguese: parcimonioso — exhibiting parsimony
  • Portuguese: parco — exhibiting parsimony
  • Russian: скупо́й (skupój) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Russian: бережли́вый (berežlívyj) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Russian: жа́дный (žádnyj) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Russian: ска́редный (skárednyj) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Russian: эконо́мный (ekonómnyj) — exhibiting parsimony
  • Spanish: parsimonioso — exhibiting parsimony
  • Vietnamese: bủn xỉn — exhibiting parsimony
  • Estonian: säästlik — using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures
  • German: sparsam — using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures
  • German: ökonomisch — using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures
  • Spanish: parsimonioso — using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures