Word of the Day - 08/30/26
parsimony
/'pɑrsə,moʊni/(n.): extreme stinginess
His parsimony was so great that he refused to turn on the heat even in winter, despite the freezing temperatures.
(n.): extreme care in spending money; reluctance to spend money unnecessarily
The company's parsimony in its budget allowed it to weather the economic downturn without any layoffs.
Word Origin
The word 'parsimony' originates from the Latin word parsimonia, meaning 'frugality', 'thriftiness', or 'sparingness'. This in turn derives from the Latin verb parcere, meaning 'to spare'. The word can be broken down as parcere (to spare) + -monia (a suffix indicating an action, state, or condition), hence 'the state or quality of sparing'.
Sunday Special
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
ruminate
kudos
proscribe
prosaic myriad pariah
parsimony
prosaic myriad pariah
parsimony
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
The pariah, once showered with kudos, was now forced to ruminate on the myriad reasons why society would proscribe his once prosaic existence, a fate exacerbated by his own regrettable parsimony.The outcast, who once received much praise, had to deeply consider the many reasons why society would ban his previously ordinary life, a situation made worse by his regrettable stinginess.