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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Parsimony


P'ARSIMONY, noun [Latin parsimonia, from parcus, saving, literally close; Eng. park.] Closeness or sparingness in the use or expenditure of money; sometimes used perhaps in a good sense, implying due or justifiable caution in expenditure, in which sense it differs little from frugality and economy. More generally, it denotes an excessive caution or closeness; in which case, it is allied to covetousness, but it implies less meanness than niggardliness. It generally implies some want of honorable liberality.

The ways to enrich are many; parsimony is one of the best, and yet is not innocent, for it withholdeth men from works of liberality.