From the M-W Editors
frugal was our Word of the Day on 06/05/2015. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of frugal in a Sentence
His meals are the frugal fare of the poor: tea, bread, yogurt, a bit of cheese, vegetables. —Johanna McGeary, Time, 25 Oct. 2004
Like frugal cooks everywhere, Cajun cooks from generations past found plenty of ways to use every part of the animals they raised. —Jeremy Sauer, Cook's Country, June 1995
In a frugal white frame house of tiny rooms that shook with every passing freight train, five boys of German immigrant background had grown up at the turn of the twentieth century. —Robert D. Kaplan, An Empire Wilderness, 1988
a frugal meal of bread and cheese
by being frugal, the family is able to stretch its monthly budget
Recent Examples of frugal from the Web
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Here are 50 things to do that will keep your summer fun and frugal in 2017. --
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Before Pope Francis and President Donald Trump traded gifts during their Vatican meeting, the two leaders had traded barbs, during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, over Trump's immigration plan and Pope Francis' frugal modesty.
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Gap is even getting squeezed by its own sister brands, as Banana Republic chases a more affluent crowd and Old Navy woos the frugal.
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The truth is, something fundamental has changed in the American economy in the past half-century—something that the frugal sages did not account for.
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One consequence of the frugal approach to building the rocket was that Robert Truax was not able to conduct a test of the parachute system.
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And how to do it in a financially frugal manner, without having to stump up forty five bloody quid for a hold bag?
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The Chinese authorities have been encouraging frugal burials in recent years in the face of land shortages and exorbitant cemetery prices.
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Newsletters like The Tightwad Gazette, by Amy Dacyczyn, were packed with tips for frugal living.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frugal'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Frugal Has Surprising Roots
Those who are frugal are unwilling to (lavishly) enjoy the fruits of their labors, so it may surprise you to learn that frugal ultimately derives from the Latin frux, meaning "fruit" or "value," and is even a distant cousin of the Latin word for "enjoy" (frui). The connection between fruit/value and restraint was first made in Latin; the Middle French word that English speakers eventually adopted as frugal came from the Latin adjective frugalis, a frux descendant meaning "virtuous" or "frugal." Although English speakers adopted frugal by the early 17th century, they were already lavishly supplied with earlier coinages to denote the idea, including sparing and thrifty.
Origin and Etymology of frugal
Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin frugalis virtuous, frugal, from frug-, frux fruit, value; akin to Latin frui to enjoy
Synonym Discussion of frugal
FRUGAL Defined for English Language Learners
frugal
playDefinition of frugal for English Language Learners
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: careful about spending money or using things when you do not need to : using money or supplies in a very careful way
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: simple and plain
FRUGAL Defined for Kids
frugal
playDefinition of frugal for Students
1 : careful in spending or using supplies
2 : simple and without unnecessary things a frugal meal
frugally
adverbLearn More about frugal
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for frugal Spanish Central: Translation of frugal Nglish: Translation of frugal for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of frugal for Arabic speakers
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