economical
Americanadjective
-
avoiding waste or extravagance; thrifty.
an economical meal; an economical use of interior space.
- Synonyms:
- parsimonious, sparing, provident, saving
- Antonyms:
- profligate, prodigal, spendthrift, extravagant, wasteful
adjective
-
using the minimum required; not wasteful of time, effort, resources, etc
an economical car
an economical style
-
frugal; thrifty
she was economical by nature
-
euphemistic deliberately withholding information (esp in the phrase economical with the truth )
Synonym Usage
See frugal.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of economical
Explanation
Someone who is economical avoids wasting things, like money or food. So if someone sees you wrapping up a bite of food that could be part of tomorrow's lunch, don't let him call you "cheap." Tell him you are economical. The adjective economical often describes someone who is frugal with money, but the word can apply to those who avoid wasting resources of any kind. An economical speaker, for example, avoids wasting words and doesn’t talk any more than is absolutely necessary. Someone who is economical with his time gets things done efficiently, just as an economical dishwasher uses the precise amount of water and electricity.
Vocabulary lists containing economical
Commonly Confused Words, List 1
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"A Retrieved Reformation" by O. Henry
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Ronald Reagan, "Tear Down This Wall" (1987)
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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.
“But at the same time, we hear from our community that they feel much stronger economical pressure, and we want to make sure we are delivering on price.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
That leaves just a 7% chance of SpaceX achieving a “moonshot scenario” where Starship is reusable and orbital data centers are extremely economical, which would value the company up to $1.9 trillion.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 6, 2026
Based on his 1997 children’s novella, this economical piece of autofiction chronicles a life-changing cross-country flight in 1962 from Travolta’s childhood home in New Jersey to the sunny streets of Los Angeles.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
Breika remains defiant: "We hope Morocco understands that investing in tourism or any other economical projects does not replace the will of Sahrawis people and its inalienable right to decide its future."
From BBC ● May 24, 2026
His methods were subtler and more economical with direct force than one might expect, as exemplified by the slow takeover of the coastal valley of Chincha.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
