frugality

noun

fru·​gal·​i·​ty frü-ˈga-lə-tē How to pronounce frugality (audio)
Synonyms of frugalitynext
: the quality or state of being frugal : careful management of material resources and especially money : thrift
For these renters, the philosophy is more about having it all … than it is about hardship or frugality.Roya Wolverson
The conference table, like all the company's desks, is made of a door bolted to two-by-fours, a deliberate message of frugality to employees of a company that is losing hundreds of millions of dollars a year.Saul Hansell

Examples of frugality in a Sentence

her lifelong frugality has enabled her to save enough money to go to college next year
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Understanding that difference can prevent endless money conflicts because frugality builds a meaningful life, while cheapness slowly erodes joy. Brian Page, CNBC, 26 Dec. 2025 Baby boomers’ good timing America’s septuagenarians were raised by parents who came of age during the Great Depression and learned the hard way the lessons of frugality and the importance of saving money. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 8 Dec. 2025 And at a time when the Great Depression still loomed in popular memory, frugality through efficiency was seen as a moral goal. Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 7 Dec. 2025 And for employees of a public entity – like the Denver International Airport – there is a higher standard, an expectation of frugality. The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for frugality

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French frugalité, borrowed from Latin frūgālitāt-, frūgālitās "steadiness of life, temperance, self-restraint," from frūgāl-, base of frūgālior and frūgālissimus, comparative and superlative degrees of frūgī "having merit or worth, deserving, sober, thrifty" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at frugal

First Known Use

1531, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of frugality was in 1531

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Cite this Entry

“Frugality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frugality. Accessed 30 Dec. 2025.

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