nonextravagant

Nonextravagant is an English adjective used to describe behavior, styles, or expenditures that avoid excess or ostentation. It conveys restraint, practicality, and simplicity rather than opulence, and can apply to objects, plans, or actions.

Etymology: The word is formed by the negating prefix non- and the adjective extravagant, which in English has long carried senses of lavishness and excess. Therefore nonextravagant literally means not extravagant. The term is relatively uncommon in everyday use and is sometimes written with a hyphen as non-extravagant.

Usage: In writing and speech, nonextravagant describes wedding schemes, interiors, gifts, or lifestyles that favor function over decoration. For example, a nonextravagant wedding may feature simple attire, modest decor, and restrained catering. In design contexts, it can indicate a minimalist or understated aesthetic.

See also: modesty, frugality, unostentatious, understated, minimalism, simplicity. Related terms: austere, plain.