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Definition of austere


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aus·tere  audio  (ô-stîr) KEY  

ADJECTIVE:
aus·ter·er , aus·ter·est
  1. Severe or stern in disposition or appearance; somber and grave: the austere figure of a Puritan minister.
  2. Strict or severe in discipline; ascetic: a desert nomad's austere life.
  3. Having no adornment or ornamentation; bare: an austere style. See Synonyms at severe.

ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English, from Old French, from Latin austrus, from Greek austros

OTHER FORMS:
aus·terely (Adverb), aus·tereness (Noun)


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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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