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
That government had secured NATO membership for Hungary, made progress toward joining the European Union and eased the pain caused by harsh austerity measures imposed under its predecessors.
—
New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The elder Hullar led the university during a period of budget austerity, and some of his ideas met a wall of opposition.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025
The most recent Republican slashing of arts funding is only a dramatic example of an austerity process that’s been underway for decades.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
But his radical austerity program has been painful, with no economic revival in sight and Argentines are losing patience.
—Isabel Debre, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
The elder Hullar led the university during a period of budget austerity, and some of his ideas met a wall of opposition.
—Cathie Anderson, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2025
The most recent Republican slashing of arts funding is only a dramatic example of an austerity process that’s been underway for decades.
—Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
But his radical austerity program has been painful, with no economic revival in sight and Argentines are losing patience.
—Isabel Debre, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for austerity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for austerity
Noun
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After her best friend and heir-to-the-throne, Kyrian, replaces her as a sacrifice to the Devil, plain, plus-size and autistic Alesta is willing to go to Hell and back.—
Brittany Johnson,
PEOPLE,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Back at Montecalvo, another fan-favorite character is making another sacrifice.—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
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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Springsteen grew up alongside rock’n’roll, absorbing its origin story and waiting for the day when his ability to write a killer riff would transport him from the misery of living with a father who didn’t understand him, shut off from a world that promised so much but gave so little.—
Sadie Sartini Garner,
Pitchfork,
24 Oct. 2025
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Whether the Monster is part of Ana’s imagination or not, the scene carries a fragile, haunting power, suggesting that the only person capable of rescuing Ana from the pervasive mystery and misery of her home life belongs to the supernatural, outside the punishing borders of Franco’s Spain.—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Our City Council and mayor need a class in Economics 101 and fiscal discipline to make hard decisions at City Hall.—
Letters To The Editor,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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Chaikesh learned to conceptualize and think of AI not as a black box (as in, an obtuse system where users can’t follow its internal logic) but as a discipline grounded in clarity and fundamentals.—
Matthew Kayser,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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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Carskadon says all of this contributes to pervasive sleep deprivation.—
NPR,
NPR,
2 Nov. 2025
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Facility one-upsmanship, all in the name of attracting better recruits, led to practice facilities with mini-golf courses (Clemson), marble showers in the locker room (Oregon) and sensory deprivation tanks (Georgia).—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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While objecting to restraints, Robinson’s attorneys agree with the sheriff that the court should limit or ban video and photographic coverage of proceedings.—
Stepheny Price , Melissa Chrise,
FOXNews.com,
24 Oct. 2025
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To complement the architecture’s rigor, the current owners turned to designer André Mellone of Studio Mellone, known for his elegant restraint and understanding of proportion.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Kp is an index used to indicate the severity of the global magnetic disturbances in near-Earth space, NOAA said.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
7 Nov. 2025
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Brain scans revealed the severity of the bleeds and whether patients showed signs of cerebral small vessel disease, a condition that damages tiny blood vessels in the brain and is linked to aging, high blood pressure and dementia.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Austerity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/austerity. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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