Word Study
Economic
CIDE DICTIONARY
Economic, a. [F. économique, L. oeconomicus orderly, methodical, Gr. economical. See Economy.].
- Pertaining to the household; domestic. Milton. [1913 Webster]
- Relating to domestic economy, or to the management of household affairs. [1913 Webster]"And doth employ her economic art
And busy care, her household to preserve." [1913 Webster] - Managing with frugality; guarding against waste or unnecessary expense; careful and frugal in management and in expenditure; -- said of character or habits. [1913 Webster]"Just rich enough, with economic care,
To save a pittance." [1913 Webster] - Managed with frugality; not marked with waste or extravagance; using the minimum of time or effort or resources required for effectiveness; frugal; -- said of acts; saving; as, an economical use of money or of time; an economic use of home heating oil. [1913 Webster]
- of or pertaining to the national or regional economy; relating to political economy; relating to the means of living, or the resources and wealth of a country; relating to the production or consumption of goods and services of a nation or region; as, economic growth; economic purposes; economical truths; an economic downturn. [1913 Webster]"These matters economical and political." [1913 Webster]"There was no economical distress in England to prompt the enterprises of colonization." [1913 Webster]"Economic questions, such as money, usury, taxes, lands, and the employment of the people." [1913 Webster]
- Regulative; relating to the adaptation of means to an end. Grew. [1913 Webster]
- of or pertaining to economics. [WordNet 1.5]
- profitable. Opposite of
uneconomic . [WordNet 1.5] - avoiding waste; as, an economical meal. Opposite of
wasteful . [WordNet 1.5]" Economical is the usual form when meaning frugal, saving; economic is the form commonly used when meaning pertaining to the management of a household, or of public affairs." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
Economic, adj.
1 of or relating to economics.
2 maintained for profit; on a business footing.
3 adequate to repay or recoup expenditure with some profit (not economic to run buses on Sunday; an economic rent).
4 practical; considered or studied with regard to human needs (economic geography).
1 of or relating to economics.
2 maintained for profit; on a business footing.
3 adequate to repay or recoup expenditure with some profit (not economic to run buses on Sunday; an economic rent).
4 practical; considered or studied with regard to human needs (economic geography).
Derivative
economically adv.
Etymology
ME f. OF economique or L oeconomicus f. Gk oikonomikos (as ECONOMY)
THESAURUS
Economic
Scotch, budget, budgetary, canny, careful, chary, cheap, cheeseparing, commercial, conserving, easy, economizing, economy, financial, fiscal, forehanded, frugal, inexpensive, labor-saving, low, low-priced, manageable, mercantile, moderate, modest, monetary, money-saving, nominal, parsimonious, pecuniary, penny-wise, politico-economic, productive, profitable, provident, prudent, prudential, reasonable, remunerative, saving, scrimping, sensible, shabby, shoddy, skimping, socio-economic, solvent, spare, sparing, thrifty, time-saving, token, trade, unexpensive, unwasteful, within means, worth the moneyFor further exploring for "Economic" in Webster Dictionary Online