Thrift is the quality and practice of being careful with money and not wasting things.
[approval]
They were rightly praised for their thrift and enterprise.
Synonyms: economy, prudence, frugality, saving More Synonyms of thrift
2. countable noun
A thrift or a thrift institution is a kind of savings bank.
[US, business]
thrift in British English
(θrɪft)
noun
1.
wisdom and caution in the management of money
2. Also called: sea pink
any of numerous perennial plumbaginaceous low-growing plants of the genus Armeria, esp A. maritima, of Europe, W Asia, and North America, having narrow leaves and round heads of pink or white flowers
3. rare
vigorous thriving or growth, as of a plant
4. US
a building society, savings bank, or credit union
5. an obsolete word for prosperity
Derived forms
thriftless (ˈthriftless)
adjective
thriftlessly (ˈthriftlessly)
adverb
thriftlessness (ˈthriftlessness)
noun
Word origin
C13: from Old Norse: success; see thrive
thrift in American English
(θrɪft)
noun
1. Obsolete
a.
the condition of thriving; prosperity
b.
physical thriving; vigorous growth
2.
careful management of one's money or resources; economy; frugality
3.
any of a genus (Armeria, family Plumbaginaceae) of dwarf, evergreen, perennial dicotyledonous plants (order Plumbaginales) with narrow leaves and small,white, pink, red, or purplish flowers
4. US
a mutual savings bank, savings and loan association, or credit union
usually used in pl.: in full thrift institution
5. British, Dialectal
a means of thriving; work; labor
Word origin
ME < ON < thrifast, to prosper: see thrive
Examples of 'thrift' in a sentence
thrift
Perhaps he gets his clothes from a thrift shop.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Other thrift shops are fighting back by highlighting their best offers.
The Sun (2013)
It would be perceived by some critics as a tax on prudence and thrift.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Many cliffs are now brightened by the pretty pink flowers of thrift on their trembling stalks.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Plus, there are always thrift shops.
Christianity Today (2000)
The ethos reflected the brothers' zeal for thrift and hard work.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But it has flourished through hard work, thrift and a superlative export base.
The Sun (2012)
Both will encourage hard work, thrift and sensible financial planning.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The pink thrift waves on cliffs, and on the shore there are also many flowers.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
She has a lazy eye, bubbling behind a thrift store sticky patch.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Government efforts to encourage short-term thrift have had mixed success.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
As my daughter may well do this, it seems that all my prudence and thrift will have been in vain.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
I've said that we want to put responsibility at the heart of our society and thrift at the heart of our government.
The Sun (2009)
It isn't the first designer thrift store in the UK.
The Sun (2007)
I like to go to thrift stores to hunt out unusual pieces I know no one else will have.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
thrift
British English: thrift NOUN
Thrift is the quality and practice of being careful with money and not wasting things.
They were rightly praised for their thrift and enterprise.
American English: thrift
Brazilian Portuguese: poupança
Chinese: 节俭
European Spanish: economía
French: économie
German: Sparsamkeit
Italian: parsimonia
Japanese: 倹約
Korean: 검소함
European Portuguese: poupança
Latin American Spanish: economía
(noun)
Definition
wisdom and caution with money
They were rightly praised for their thrift and enterprise.
Synonyms
economy
They have achieved quite remarkable effects with great economy of means.
prudence
A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.
frugality
We must practise frugality and economy.
saving
parsimony
carefulness
good husbandry
thriftiness
Opposites
waste
,
squandering
,
extravagance
,
carelessness
,
recklessness
,
profligacy
,
prodigality
Additional synonyms
in the sense of frugality
We must practise frugality and economy.
Synonyms
thrift,
economy,
conservation,
moderation,
providence,
good management,
husbandry,
economizing,
carefulness,
thriftiness
in the sense of prudence
A lack of prudence may lead to financial problems.