Near-synonyms: (usually admirable) frugality, economy, thrift, thriftiness; (excessive degree) tightness, stinginess; (extreme degree) miserliness; see also Thesaurus:frugal, Thesaurus:stingy
Source: wiktionary
Parsimony
/ˈpɑɹ.səˌmoʊ.ni/
Synonyms for "parsimony" (82 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (17)
Noun(5 words)
austerityausterity programavaricecanninesscarecarefulnesscharinesscheeseparingeconomic planningeconomicalnesseconomyeconomy of means
Strong matches (24)
eleganceexiguityexiguousnessfalse economyforehandednessfrugalityfrugalnessgood managementgreedhusbandryjejunenessjejunityleannesslenten faremanagementmeagernessmeannessmiserliness
Noun(6 words)
Related words (41)
narrownessniggardlinesspaltrinessparsimoniousnesspinchingprovidenceprudenceprudential administrationpuninessscantinessscantnessscrawninessscrimpinessscrimpingskimpinessskimpingslendernessslightnessslim pickingsslimness
Show 10 more words
Noun(10 words)
niggardlinessniggardnessparsimoniousnesspenny-pinchingscrimpingsimplicitysimplicity criterionthe less the bettertightfistednesstightness
Adjective(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: thrift, austerity, austerity program, avarice, brevity.
- Sentence evidence is available for parsimony, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "parsimony".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "parsimony"
Keep "parsimony" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "parsimony" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "parsimony", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "parsimony" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
11 entriesacademic writingeconomic behaviorevolutionary biologyfrugalityfrugalnessphilosophical principlephylogeneticsresource managementrhetoricscientific methodologystinginess
More specific
8 entriescharacter-change minimizationminimum-change criterionminimum-parameter modelmiserlinesssimplified theorystinginesssuccinctnessterse style
Collocations
6 entrieseconomy of explanationminimum-change criterionparsimony criterionparsimony principlephylogenetic parsimonyprinciple of parsimony
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
2 entriesSample sentences
5 total sentences available.
Parsimony, and not industry, is the immediate cause of the increase of capital. Industry, indeed, provides the subject which parsimony accumulates. But whatever industry might acquire, if parsimony did not save and store up, the capital would never be the greater.
Source: wiktionary
If mere parsimony could have made a man rich, Sir Pitt Crawley might have become very wealthy […]
Source: wiktionary
THE WATERFORD & TRAMORE RAILWAY. By H. Fayle and A. T. Newham. David & Charles. 12s 6d. [...] Parsimony was responsible for low wages: at the turn of the century the Secretary & Manager was receiving £175 a year and the Locomotive Superintendent slightly less.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "parsimony"?
Closest matches include thrift, austerity, austerity program, avarice, brevity.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "parsimony"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.