as in austere
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
accommodations on the windjammer are spartan but clean and comfortable nevertheless
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Recent Examples of spartan
The modern extension in the rear of the 19th-century main villa is an elegantly spartan affair that somehow complements the 19th-century edifice and brings in the surrounding foliage.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
In one corner stood a spartan single bed, in the other a small woodstove.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Mar. 2026
His solution is to hide technology behind spartan interfaces.
—Diana Budds, Architectural Digest, 3 Mar. 2026
The learning center used to be a hostel, its spartan facilities a challenge, a lawyer mom told Lilian, for the stay-at-home mothers who would otherwise have been perfect candidates for the task of chaperoning.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
The operatives, mostly men and women in their late twenties, sat in a circle in the spartan safe house with a single, small light and no furniture.
—Jason Burke, Time, 27 Feb. 2026
Osteria Historically speaking, an osteria was a spartan, no-frills establishment where people would go to have a drink.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
While many sports cars are spartan in their functional aesthetic, including the Mercedes-AMG GT, which shares engine architecture with Aston Martin, the Vantage S feels different due to its elegant lines and abjectly opulent interior.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2026
Freed from any sort of period accuracy, Davies tried to start the house in a spartan, memory-like state, as Cathy and Heathcliff would remember it from childhood.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 18 Feb. 2026
In one corner stood a spartan single bed, in the other a small woodstove.
—Michael Pollan, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spartan
Adjective
-
The documentaries tended to be distanced, austere, observational; those that focused on the past (such as 2005’s Blockade, about the WWII siege of Leningrad, or 2019’s State Funeral, about the funeral of Stalin) were often built entirely from archival footage.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The overall interior aesthetic feels more austere than luxurious, bordering on utilitarian.—
Erik Shilling,
Robb Report,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In Catanzaro Lido, a beach town along the Ionian coast, meals tend to be simple and communal.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In her first interview since becoming head of content at Disney+ EMEA, Angela Jain has said the message to writers and producers is simple, the streamer is going to greenlight more originals from the region and will be backing that effort with extra funds for local fare.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The no-frills cuisine is defined by high-quality ingredients, fresh-from-the-ocean seafood, and unusually spicy dishes—by Italian standards, anyway.—
Jenna Curcio,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying economic uncertainty, California lawmakers approved a no-frills state budget that came in at $202 billion.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On DeFilippis’s stage (kept effectively earthy and stark by scenic designer Ashley Basile), the stakes are ratcheted up from the jump and the tension never slackens.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The findings are stark, even frightening.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spartan.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spartan. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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