What Is a Parsimonious Theory?

The word "parsimonious" comes from the Latin word "parsimoniae." It is seen most often in the Latin phrase "lex parsimoniae," which is more commonly known as Occam's razor. The Occam in Occam's razor comes from William of Ockham, who popularized the theory. The razor refers to the act of distinguishing between two hypotheses either by shaving away unnecessary assumptions or cutting apart two similar conclusions to provide a simpler answer.