Meaning & use
austerity
Last updated
Difficult economic conditions created by government measures to reduce spending, or a simple, plain way of living with no luxuries.
See it in a sentence
The government introduced austerity measures to reduce the national debt.
The monks lived a life of austerity, owning almost nothing beyond their robes.
A note on using this word
Two related but distinct uses: an economic policy sense and a personal lifestyle sense of simple, unadorned living.
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