1
as in sacrifice
voluntary restraint in the satisfaction of one's appetites
They moved off the grid to live a life of austerity.
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2
as in gruffness
the quality or state of being stern and serious in manner or appearance
His air of austerity tends to put others off.
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3
as in misery
the state of lacking sufficient money or material possessions
His family spent years living in austerity during the recession.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of austerity
Joonhee Park’s grayscale set design, complemented by Ben Carne’s fluorescent lighting, particularly suits Marlene’s harsh corporate world, but the chilly look also nods to Thatcherite austerity throughout the play.
—
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The expiring guidelines have required Arizona reduce its share by more than 500,000 acre-feet, and other agreements have led to still more austerity.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
But in Argentina, a harsh austerity program under libertarian President Javier Milei may have hobbled the country’s ability to respond to the fires, researchers said, citing budget cuts to firefighting crews, a lack of planning and deregulation of tourism activities in Patagonia’s national parks.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Antiques layered into a comfortable, practical palette help strike the balance between austerity and warmth.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
The expiring guidelines have required Arizona reduce its share by more than 500,000 acre-feet, and other agreements have led to still more austerity.
—Brandon Loomis, AZCentral.com, 13 Feb. 2026
But in Argentina, a harsh austerity program under libertarian President Javier Milei may have hobbled the country’s ability to respond to the fires, researchers said, citing budget cuts to firefighting crews, a lack of planning and deregulation of tourism activities in Patagonia’s national parks.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Antiques layered into a comfortable, practical palette help strike the balance between austerity and warmth.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 28 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austerity
Noun
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Going to the gym and family sacrifices.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
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Maybe the closest thing the movie has to a thesis comes when one of the contestants flies a drone to the sisters and tries to offer a compromise via a loophole in the rules that could spare all of them, if Grace is willing to make a repugnant sacrifice.—
Jada Yuan,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Mackay and Turner are both excellent, two movie stars who seem totally game to be asked to move with real gruffness.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Inarguably one of the best teams in the country annually, the Boilermakers had a string of March miseries.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
18 Mar. 2026
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The world holds so much misery that miserable hearts forget the face of happiness.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Profar also intended to ask the MLBPA to file a grievance to appeal any discipline earlier this month.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
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The deal offers Tesla owners 50% off every mile driven using Full Self-Driving technology and does not sacrifice underwriting discipline.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Beyond their asceticism, the six members of the group - Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza, and Yoonchae Jeung - hail from different countries, including the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States.—
Doug Melville,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
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Frayne writes that some second- and third-century sects, such as the Encratites, Priscilliantists, and Manicheans, advocated against meat eating, typically as part of a broader asceticism that might also include celibacy.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Being strong doesn't cancel out toxic exposures or sleep deprivation.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
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Studies have shown there’s less activity in the parts of the brain associated with rumination and stress during sensory deprivation experiments, says Lurie.—
Julia Ries Wexler,
Outside,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Those documents go on to cite state data that shows a 39% increase in the use of restraints in two separate six-month periods in 2023 and 2024.—
Austen Erblat,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
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The opening two weeks of the current fighting, however, have seen a significant loosening of the restraints on targeting critical infrastructure.—
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen,
The Conversation,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Analyst Michael Leininger, a former San Jose police detective, said standard law enforcement rules in similar situations require officers to consider the severity of the offense and whether the individual is identifiable and can be arrested at a later time.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The severity of the resulting injury depends on, among countless other variables, how the electricity enters the body, and where, and the path the current takes through it.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austerity. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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