English → Latin
“frugal” in Latin
dīligōto esteem, prize, love, have regard, to delight in (something); to set apart by choosing, to single (something) out, to parcussparing, frugal, thrifty; scanty, slight, little, smallrestringōto draw back tightly, bind back or fast, tighten; to unfasten, unclose, open; to restrain, confine, restrictsōbriussober (not drunk)simplexsingle; simple, plain, uncompounded; pure, unmixedfrūxproduce, crop, fruit; supplies; fruit, result, successmodestusmoderate, calm, restrained, mild; modest, reserved, discreet
The English word frugal itself goes back to Latin frūgālis.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
frugal
diligens (careful and economical): attentus ad rem (careful): parcus (sparing; opposed to nimius): restrictus (close, opposed to largus). (The words are found in this connection and order.) parcus et restrictus (all these of persons only): sobrius (of persons or things; a frugal table, mensa sobria): simplex (simple; e.g., frugal fare, cibus simplex): frugi (indeclinable of a person, is a prudent, well-conditioned, respectable person, opposed to nequam: frugalis not used before Apul., but frugalior in Ter. and Varr.; parcissimus, modestissimus, frugalissimus, Cic.). (The words are found in this connection and order.) frugi et diligens.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for frugal?
- The usual Latin words for “frugal” are dīligō, parcus, restringō; also sōbrius, simplex, frūx. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.