austere

adjective

aus·​tere ȯ-ˈstir How to pronounce austere (audio)
 also  -ˈster
1
a
: stern and cold in appearance or manner
an austere Puritan
b
: somber, grave
an austere critic
2
: morally strict : ascetic
3
: markedly simple or unadorned
an austere office
an austere style of writing
4
: giving little or no scope for pleasure
austere diets
5
of a wine : having the flavor of acid or tannin predominant over fruit flavors usually indicating a capacity for aging
austerely adverb
austereness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for austere

severe, stern, austere, ascetic mean given to or marked by strict discipline and firm restraint.

severe implies standards enforced without indulgence or laxity and may suggest harshness.

severe military discipline

stern stresses inflexibility and inexorability of temper or character.

stern arbiters of public morality

austere stresses absence of warmth, color, or feeling and may apply to rigorous restraint, simplicity, or self-denial.

living an austere life in the country

ascetic implies abstention from pleasure and comfort or self-indulgence as spiritual discipline.

the ascetic life of the monks

Examples of austere in a Sentence

This is a national conceit that is the comprehensible result of the religious beliefs of the early New England colonists (Calvinist religious dissenters, moved by millenarian expectations and theocratic ideas), which convinced them that their austere settlements in the wilderness represented a new start in humanity's story. William Pfaff, New York Review, 15 Feb. 2007
For many of us with no firsthand familiarity with Greece, it's easy to forget that its celebrated ruins are a distortion and that we behold its ancient culture in its bare-bones lineaments. The austere white buildings of the Acropolis were once painted and parti-colored structures. Brad Leithauser, New York Times Book Review, 26 Mar. 2006
I cut off my long dark hair, put on the habit (and it was quite becoming, in an austere sort of way), wrapped a big rosary around my waist, threw the cloak over my shoulders and set out. Albert E. Cowdrey, Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 2005
Certain kinds of landscapes—volatile ocean environments, sculpturally seductive alpine peaks, austere polar regions—became infused with what philosopher Edmund Burke called "a sort of delightful horror." James Balog, American Photo, May/June 2004
They choose austere furnishings for the office. He was known for his austere style of writing. They lived an austere life in the country.
Recent Examples on the Web There is an austere final judgment or a hard kernel lurking inside each of her apparently gentle evaluations. James Wood, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024 Without him, Joel Coen made a visually striking, emotionally austere Macbeth adaptation. David Sims, The Atlantic, 21 Feb. 2024 Many artists’ studios are utilitarian, but Mckinney’s is exceptionally austere. M.h. Miller, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2024 Plus, the Great Recession led to austere governments looking to fines and fees to subsidize even the most basic government services. Courtney E. Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Feb. 2024 That trade-off means dealmakers will earn more in boom years and take a harder hit in austere times. Dawn Lim, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024 Be austere with your language and focused on numbers. Janine MacLachlan, Forbes, 11 Feb. 2024 Yet even Bergman, for all his asceticism, had an austere inner drama queen. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Jan. 2024 His end of 2023 has been anything but austere, with a glut of holiday parties, a decadent family trip to Rome, and the red carpet premiere of the film adaptation of his novel Leave the World Behind. Lauren Mechling, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'austere.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin austerus, from Greek austēros harsh, severe; akin to Greek hauos dry — more at sere

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of austere was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near austere

Cite this Entry

“Austere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/austere. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

austere

adjective
aus·​tere ȯ-ˈsti(ə)r How to pronounce austere (audio)
1
: stern and unfriendly in appearance and manner
2
: living a harsh life with few pleasures : ascetic
3
: simple sense 4a, unadorned
an austere room
austerely adverb

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