parsimony
noun
par·si·mo·ny
ˈpär-sə-ˌmō-nē 
1
a
: the quality of being careful with money or resources : thrift
the necessity of wartime parsimony
b
: the quality or state of being stingy
The charity was surprised by the parsimony of some larger corporations.
2
: economy in the use of means to an end
especially
: economy of explanation in conformity with Occam's razor
the scientific law of parsimony dictates that any example of animal behavior should be interpreted at its simplest, most immediate level —
Peter Gorner
Peter Gorner Examples of parsimony in a Sentence
The charity was surprised by the parsimony of some larger corporations.
her parsimony was so extreme that she'd walk five miles to the store to save a few cents on gas
Recent Examples on the Web
The parsimony has so far delivered one FA Cup and an on-field blueprint as devoid of life as most others since the Ferguson era ended.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
And even if the existing global public health architecture survives this time of parsimony and austerity, it will have been remodeled along the way.
—Laurie Garrett, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2012
But the Senate’s parsimony on these issues was praised by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a think tank that advocates for racial and economic justice.
—Larry Edelman, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2023
Given the exorbitant gasoline prices in most European countries, such parsimony is a vital part of the appeal.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 26 May 2023
One of the beauties of Out of Africa was its elegant parsimony; extraordinary claims were easily dismissed and ignored.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Dec. 2010
Here's where the author explains the philosophy behind the statistical technique: When choosing among several competing scientific models, two opposing factors must be taken into account: the goodness of fit and parsimony.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2010
His record in the Premier League, in particular, in recent years has been built as much on defensive parsimony as attacking threat.
—New York Times, 13 Apr. 2022
At the conference this year, delegates from developing countries said this parsimony had undermined their trust in the U.N. process.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2021
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Phil Hay, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
And even if the existing global public health architecture survives this time of parsimony and austerity, it will have been remodeled along the way.
—Laurie Garrett, Foreign Affairs, 6 Mar. 2012
But the Senate’s parsimony on these issues was praised by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, a think tank that advocates for racial and economic justice.
—Larry Edelman, BostonGlobe.com, 9 June 2023
Given the exorbitant gasoline prices in most European countries, such parsimony is a vital part of the appeal.
—Mike Duff, Car and Driver, 26 May 2023
One of the beauties of Out of Africa was its elegant parsimony; extraordinary claims were easily dismissed and ignored.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 29 Dec. 2010
Here's where the author explains the philosophy behind the statistical technique: When choosing among several competing scientific models, two opposing factors must be taken into account: the goodness of fit and parsimony.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 13 May 2010
His record in the Premier League, in particular, in recent years has been built as much on defensive parsimony as attacking threat.
—New York Times, 13 Apr. 2022
At the conference this year, delegates from developing countries said this parsimony had undermined their trust in the U.N. process.
—Simon Montlake, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Parsimony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parsimony. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parsimony
noun
par·si·mo·ny
ˈpär-sə-ˌmō-nē
: the quality of being overly sparing with money : miserliness
parsimonious
adjective
ˌpär-sə-ˈmō-nē-əs
parsimoniously
adverb
parsimoniousness
noun
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