Avoiding waste. Synonyms: economical, frugal, scotch, stinting. "An economical shopper" , "A frugal farmer" , "A frugal lunch" , "A sparing father and a spending son" , "Sparing in their use of heat and light" , "Stinting in bestowing gifts" , "Thrifty because they remember the great Depression" , "'scotch' is used only informally"