thrift

C1 Topic:Money & Finance

US /ˈθɹɪft/ UK /θrɪft/ See IPA manual

Freq #25854

Meanings

1

noun
careful and economical use of money or other resources; frugality

Canon Chasuble complained that the poorer parishioners did not seem to understand thrift.
2

noun
a savings and loan association or similar financial institution, especially in the United States

The regional thrift offered first-time buyers a fixed-rate mortgage.
3

noun
a low-growing evergreen plant of the genus Armeria, often bearing round heads of pink or white flowers

Pink thrift grew in dense cushions along the windy cliff.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · careful and economical use... frugality economy thriftiness

2 noun · a savings and loan... savings and loan associationsavings bank

3 noun · a low-growing evergreen... sea thriftsea pink

Opposites

extravagance wastefulness prodigality

Word family

Derived forms thrifty thriftinessthriftless

Related forms economize save spendthrift

Common collocations

thrift institution Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English thrift, from Old Norse þrift ("prosperity, thriving condition"). It belongs to the same word family as thrive. The earlier sense of prosperity or gain gradually narrowed to the careful management of money and resources that helps prosperity endure.

Topics

Money & Finance

External links

# thrift

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈθɹɪft/
**IPA (UK):** /θrɪft/
**Frequency rank:** 25854

## Meanings
1. careful and economical use of money or other resources; frugality
2. a savings and loan association or similar financial institution, especially in the United States
3. a low-growing evergreen plant of the genus Armeria, often bearing round heads of pink or white flowers

## Examples
- Canon Chasuble complained that the poorer parishioners did not seem to understand thrift.
- The regional thrift offered first-time buyers a fixed-rate mortgage.
- Pink thrift grew in dense cushions along the windy cliff.

## Synonyms
- frugality
- economy
- thriftiness

## Antonyms
- extravagance
- wastefulness
- prodigality

## Derived Forms
- thrifty
- thriftiness
- thriftless

## Related Forms
- economize
- save
- spendthrift

## Etymology
From Middle English thrift, from Old Norse þrift ("prosperity, thriving condition"). It belongs to the same word family as thrive. The earlier sense of prosperity or gain gradually narrowed to the careful management of money and resources that helps prosperity endure.

## Topics
- Money & Finance

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