1
as in sacrifice
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
They moved off the grid to live a life of austerity.
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2
as in gruffness
the quality or state of being stern and serious in manner or appearance
His air of austerity tends to put others off.
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3
as in misery
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
His family spent years living in austerity during the recession.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of austerity
As part of his austerity plan, Milei downgraded the Human Rights Secretariat to a sub-secretariat, cut its budget and laid off staff.
—
ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Officials also ordered austerity measures to conserve energy, including having government employees work from home and urging people to use the stairs instead of elevators.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
While audio listening overall continues on a healthy trajectory, the go-go times of a few years ago, when Spotify and rivals were scooping up talent and emerging studios, have segued to a period of relative austerity.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
The first challenge is austerity.
—Time, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
ABC News, 22 Mar. 2026
Officials also ordered austerity measures to conserve energy, including having government employees work from home and urging people to use the stairs instead of elevators.
—Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 15 Mar. 2026
While audio listening overall continues on a healthy trajectory, the go-go times of a few years ago, when Spotify and rivals were scooping up talent and emerging studios, have segued to a period of relative austerity.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 3 Mar. 2026
The first challenge is austerity.
—Time, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austerity
Noun
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For more than four decades, the Korean immigrant has worked at the shop near Travis Air Force Base, hearing countless stories of loss, sacrifice and heartbreak from military families and service members.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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What sets them apart is, in exchange for yearly sacrifices in the form of new hires who seem like they won’t be missed, the Virgil’s inhabitants have been granted a conditional immortality that makes the film’s action sequences more fun for a while and then more tedious.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But then Popper smiled and the arrival of opening day momentarily mellowed his gruffness.—
Andrew Carter,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Mackay and Turner are both excellent, two movie stars who seem totally game to be asked to move with real gruffness.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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In contrast, his wife, Chandravati, is selfish as a daughter-in-law and disrespects Swasthani, leading to enormous misery for her.—
Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz,
The Conversation,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
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These early routines introduced him to the discipline and rhythms of business.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
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Oftentimes, it is seen as some sort of precious art form, maybe something in the realm of ballet that requires real discipline.—
Emma Forgione,
Vulture,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beyond their asceticism, the six members of the group - Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung - hail from different countries, including the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Frayne writes that some second- and third-century sects, such as the Encratites, Priscilliantists, and Manicheans, advocated against meat eating, typically as part of a broader asceticism that might also include celibacy.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Hamilton says severe sleep deprivation can be comparable to driving under the influence, affecting your accuracy and reaction time.—
Wakisha Bailey,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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Such terrible deprivations the newcomers to our land must endure while guzzling nips, smoking weed and driving the wrong way on our interstate highways.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The city isn’t well-positioned to raise the money to address this fact in a sensible way, given limits on its taxing authority and current budgetary restraints.—
Kevin Cole,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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The prosecutor argued that Officer Noonan showed restraint that day, only shooting when Fitzsimmons performed the tap-rack and pointed the gun.—
Matt Schooley,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Orkin's bed bug treatment methods may include targeted applications, heat treatments or a combination of strategies, depending on the severity.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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The department said the driver's seat was the only part of the car that remained intact, but despite the severity of the crash, the driver suffered only minor injuries.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austerity. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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