Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- 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.
- entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.
adjective
- practising economy; living without waste; thrifty
- not costly; meagre
1590s, from Middle French frugal, from Latin frugalis, from undeclined adj. frugi “useful, proper, worthy, honest; temperate, economical,” originally dative of frux (plural fruges) “fruit, produce,” figuratively “value, result, success,” related to fructus (see fruit). Sense evolved in Latin from “useful” to “profitable” to “economical.” Related: Frugally.