rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryausterityStrict simplicity
noun

austerity

aw-STER-uh-tee/ɔːˈsterəti/

Strict restraint in spending or enjoyment.

The room's austerity reflects the owner's preference for a simple life.

A deliberately spare dining arrangement: one plain wooden chair at a small unadorned table, with a modest bowl of porridge and a glass of water.
Etymology
austerLatinsevere, harsh
+ityLatinstate or quality

The quality of harshness or severity came to mean strict self-discipline, then a life without luxuries. This severe simplicity also supplied the economic sense of limiting non-essential spending.

In context

ClassicistORG2:15
The exuberance of Baroque architecture followed a period of austerity and architectural restraint, in response to the Protestant Reformation.
How Architecture Evolved from the Baroque Period to Now: A Survey of Classical Architecture, Part IV

More examples

  • The government introduced austerity measures to reduce borrowing.
  • She found the austerities of monastic life difficult at first.
  • Years of austerity left little money for public repairs.

Forms

austerity · austerities

austere adjective — Severely plain, restrained, or lacking indulgence.

Similar words

frugality
Emphasizes avoiding waste rather than severe deprivation or public policy.
privation
Emphasizes lacking necessities rather than choosing restraint.