economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: What your office needs is a frugal manager who can save you money without resorting to painful cutbacks.Synonyms: thrifty, chary, provident, careful, prudent, penny-wise, scrimping; miserly, Scotch, penny-pinching. Antonyms: wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, prodigal, profligate.
2.
entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.Synonyms: scant, slim, sparing, skimpy. Antonyms: luxurious, lavish, profuse.
Origin: 1590–1600; < Latinfrūgālis economical, equivalent to frūg- (stem of frūx produce, fruit) + -ālis-al1
Related forms
fru·gal·i·ty, fru·gal·ness, noun
fru·gal·ly, adverb
non·fru·gal, adjective
non·fru·gal·ly, adverb
non·fru·gal·ness, noun
o·ver·fru·gal, adjective
o·ver·fru·gal·ly, adverb
un·fru·gal, adjective
un·fru·gal·ly, adverb
un·fru·gal·ness, noun
Synonym Study Economical,thrifty,frugal imply careful and saving use of resources. Economical implies prudent planning in the disposition of resources so as to avoid unnecessary waste or expense: economical in budgeting household expenditures.Thrifty is a stronger word than economical, and adds to it the idea of industry and successful management: a thrifty shopper looking for bargains.Frugal emphasizes being saving, sometimes excessively saving, especially in such matters as food or dress: frugal almost to the point of being stingy.
1590s, from M.Fr. frugal, from L. frugalis, from undeclined adj. frugi "economical, useful, proper," originally dat. of frux (pl. fruges) "fruit, profit, value," related to fructus (see fruit). Sense evolved in L. from "useful" to "profitable" to "economical." Related: Frugally.