parsimony
UK[ˈpɑːsɪməni]US[ˈpɑːrsəmoʊni]
n
extreme unwillingness to spend money or use resources
n
the principle in science and philosophy that the simplest explanation or theory is usually the correct one
Morpheme Breakdown
parsi
mony
parsi
spare
mony
noun suffix
Etymology
the word parsimony entered english in the late middle period, directly from the latin parsimonia, meaning "frugality, thrift." this latin noun itself derives from the verb parcere, "to spare, to refrain from using," which carries the core sense of holding back and avoiding excess. the semantic journey from the concrete act of sparing resources to the abstract principle of intellectual or scientific frugality is a logical extension. in philosophy and science, parsimony, often called occam's razor, reflects the same fundamental idea of restraint, advocating for the theory that is most sparing in its assumptions and entities.
Analysis
Structure: parsi (spare) + mony (noun suffix)
parsi - from latin parcere (to spare, to be sparing). mony - from latin -monia, a suffix forming abstract nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality.
Examples
his parsimony was so extreme that he would reuse teabags.
the court's ruling was marked by a parsimony in its interpretation of the law.
scientific parsimony favors the hypothesis that requires the fewest new assumptions.