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Austerity vs Austere - What's the difference?

austerity | austere | Related terms |

Austere is a derived term of austerity.

Austere is a related term of austerity.



As a noun austerity

is severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.

As an adjective austere is

grim or severe in manner or appearance.

austerity

English

Noun

  • Severity of manners or life; extreme rigor or strictness; harsh discipline.
  • Freedom from adornment; plainness; severe simplicity.
  • (economics) A policy of deficit-cutting, which by definition requires lower spending, higher taxes, or both.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=April 23 , author=Angelique Chrisafis , title=François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election , work=the Guardian citation , page= , passage=He said France clearly wanted to "close one page and open another". He reiterated his opposition to austerity alone as the only way out of Europe's crisis: "My final duty, and I know I'm being watched from beyond our borders, is to put Europe back on the path of growth and employment."}}
  • (obsolete) Sourness and harshness to the taste.

    • Antonyms

    * (severity of manners or life) comfort

    Related terms

    * austere * austerely

    References

    *

    austere

    English

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • Grim or severe in manner or appearance
    • The headmistress was an austere old woman.
  • Lacking trivial decoration; not extravagant or gaudy
    • The interior of the church was as austere as the parishioners were dour.

    Synonyms

    * (grim or severe) stern, strict, forbidding * (lacking trivial decoration) simple, plain, unadorned, unembellished

    Antonyms

    * (not lacking trivial decoration) overwrought, flamboyant, extravagant, gaudy, flashy

    Derived terms

    * austerity * austerely