The origin of “parsimonious” can be traced to the Latin word “parcitās,” meaning “sparingness, moderation.” The Latin word also contributed to other Romance language words for “moderation,” including “parcimonie” in French and “parsimonia” in both Italian and Spanish. As for the English “parsimonious,” it’s moderation, or self-restraint, to the extreme. A parsimonious person is likely to save their money at the expense of their personal satisfaction.