Parsimonious

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /pÉ‘r.sɪˈmoÊŠn.i.É™s/

Origin

From Middle English parcimony, from Latin parsimonia from parsus, past participle of parcere ("to spare").

Full definition of parsimonious

Adjective

1. Exhibiting parsimony; sparing in expenditure of money; frugal to excess; penurious; niggardly; stingy.
2. Using a minimal number of assumptions, steps, or conjectures.
• 1898, s:Author:William Graham Sumner, s:War and Other Essays Chapter s:The Conquest of the United States by Spain, Our fathers would have an economical government, even if grand people called it a parsimonious one, and taxes should be no greater than were absolutely necessary to pay for such a government.
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance, January 2002The first three college-savings plans stand out for their parsimonious expenses...Statistical methods offer the ability to enforce parsimonious selection of the most influential potential predictors of each gene's state.

Synonyms