different between parsimony vs alimony

English

Etymology

From Middle English parcimonie, from Middle French parsimonie, from Latin parsim?nia (“frugality, sparingness”), from pars-, past participle stem of parcere (“to spare”), + -monia, suffix signifying action, state, or condition.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?p??.s?.?mo?.ni/
• Hyphenation: par?si?mony

Noun

parsimony (usually uncountable, plural parsimonies)

1. Great reluctance to spend money unnecessarily.

   Synonyms: stinginess, frugality, economy; see also Thesaurus:stingy, Thesaurus:frugal

   • 1848, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, Chapter 9:

     If mere parsimony could have made a man rich, Sir Pitt Crawley might have become very wealthy […]

2. (by extension) The principle of using the fewest resources or explanations to solve a problem.

Derived terms

• parsimonious

Translations

See also

• Occam's razor

Further reading

• parsimony in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• parsimony in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• parsimony on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

English

Etymology

Known since 1655, from Latin alim?nia (“food, support, nourishment, sustenance”) (English aliment, as in alimentary), itself from alere (“to nourish”) + -m?nia (“action, state, condition”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?æ.l?.m?.ni/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?æ.l?.mo?.ni/

Noun

alimony (countable and uncountable, plural alimonies)

1. (law) A court-mandated allowance made to a former spouse by a divorced or legally separated person.

   Synonym: maintenance
2. The means to support life.

Derived terms

• alimonious
• palimony
• vaginamony

Related terms

• aliment
• alimentary

Translations

Further reading

• alimony on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Molniya