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economics

American  
[ek-uh-nom-iks, ee-kuh-] / ˌɛk əˈnɒm ɪks, ˌi kə- /

noun

  1. (used with a singular verb)  the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, or the material welfare of humankind.

  2. (used with a plural verb)  financial considerations; economically significant aspects.

    What are the economics of such a project?
economics British  
/ ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪks, ˌɛkə- /

noun

  1. (functioning as singular) the social science concerned with the production and consumption of goods and services and the analysis of the commercial activities of a society See also macroeconomics microeconomics

  2. (functioning as plural) financial aspects

    the economics of the project are very doubtful
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
economics Cultural  

  1. The science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of commodities.

Discover More

Economics is sometimes referred to as the “dismal science.”

Economics is generally understood to concern behavior that, given the scarcity of means, arises to achieve certain ends. When scarcity ceases, conventional economic theory may no longer be applicable. (See affluent society.)

Etymology

Origin of economics

First recorded in 1785–95; economic, -ics

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Of course, everyone wants an alternative, and those alternatives will have good economics for some applications,” Moore said.

From MarketWatch

Mark Sculpher, professor of health economics at the University of York, said there is no logical link between the prices the NHS pays to pharmaceutical companies and their decisions to locate manufacturing in the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal

He received a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

From MarketWatch

He received a doctorate in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

From MarketWatch

I just want to be sure that you are not projecting your own fears onto a situation where there is already an imbalance of power and economics.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.