austerity
noun
aus·ter·i·ty
ȯ-ˈster-ə-tē 
-ˈste-rə-,
also -ˈstir-ə-
plural austerities
1
: the quality or state of being austere: such as
a
: a stern and serious quality
the formal austerity of his manner
b
: a plain and simple quality
the austerity of the design
2
: enforced or extreme economy especially on a national scale
lived through years of austerity after the war
fiscal austerity
a series of austerity measures [=measures taken to reduce spending]
3
a
: an austere act, manner, or attitude
monastic self-denial and austerities
b
: an ascetic (see ascetic sense 1) practice
Examples of austerity in a Sentence
the austerity of the design
The austerity of their lifestyle was surprising.
They lived through years of austerity after the war.
the austerities practiced by monks
Recent Examples on the Web
Tens of thousands of jobs lost during Milei’s tough austerity drive have yet to come back.
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
That move was part of a broader effort to eliminate austerity measures initially suggested to close a $402 million revenue gap.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Wickremesinghe set loose the armed forces on the protests, which fizzled out rapidly, and stabilized the economy by introducing painful austerity measures backed by the International Monetary Fund.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Companies react with token fixes, making small austerity cuts, shuffling around leadership, and rebranding business units.
—Daniel Schmeltz, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
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Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025
That move was part of a broader effort to eliminate austerity measures initially suggested to close a $402 million revenue gap.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025
Wickremesinghe set loose the armed forces on the protests, which fizzled out rapidly, and stabilized the economy by introducing painful austerity measures backed by the International Monetary Fund.
—Kapil Komireddi, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Companies react with token fixes, making small austerity cuts, shuffling around leadership, and rebranding business units.
—Daniel Schmeltz, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/austerity. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
austerity
noun
aus·ter·i·ty
ȯ-ˈster-ət-ē
plural austerities
1
: the quality or state of being austere
2
: an austere act, manner, or attitude
3
: a way of living with few or no luxuries
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