Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Sumptuary
Sump′tu-a-ry
,Adj.
[L.
sumptuarius
, fr. sumptus
expense, cost, fr. sumere
, sumptum
, to take, use, spend; sub
under + emere
to take, buy: cf. F. somptuaire
. See Redeem
.] Relating to expense; regulating expense or expenditure.
Bacon.
Sumptuary laws
or Sumptuary regulations
laws intended to restrain or limit the expenditure of citizens in apparel, food, furniture, etc.; laws which regulate the prices of commodities and the wages of labor; laws which forbid or restrict the use of certain articles, as of luxurious apparel.
Webster 1828 Edition
Sumptuary
SUMP'TUARY
,Adj.
Relating to expense. Sumptuary laws or regulations are such as restrain or limit the expenses of citizens in apparel, food, furniture, &c. Sumptuary laws are abridgments of liberty, and of very difficult execution. They can be justified only on the ground of extreme necessity.