economist

American  

[ih-kon-uh-mist] / ɪˈkɒn ə mɪst /

noun

economists plural

1. a specialist in economics.

2. Archaic. a thrifty or frugal person.

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economist British  

/ ɪˈkɒnəmɪst /

noun

1. a specialist in economics

2. archaic a person who advocates or practises frugality

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• economists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of economist

First recorded in 1580–90; econom(y) + -ist

Explanation

The word economist is close to economics, which is the science of money. An economist is a person who practices that science. If your economics course isn't being taught by an economist, the chances are you should switch sections. In the 16th century, the word was used to describe the person who managed the household, which certainly explains courses in "home economics." But the current meaning of economist — a person who studies the flow of cash and credit between people, institutions, banks, etc. — first developed during the 18th century. Perhaps that's no surprise either, as that's when the global economy truly became, well, global.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

economist economists

The reserved economist has also shown a combative streak.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

"This is the final phase of the strategy to make Ivory Coast an upper-middle-income country by 2030," explained economist Blaise Makaye, a researcher at the University of Bouake.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

As a health economist who studies how insurance coverage affects people’s health, I see the drop as more than a numbers story.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Kevin Warsh’s testimony to Congress “offered some heat but not a lot of new light” on the outlook for interest rates, one economist said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026

When we walked into the Eagle, Francis did not exchange his usual raucous greetings with the Persian economist Ephraim Eshag, but gave the undistilled impression that something serious was up.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Some economists argued it was unnecessary and would weigh heavily on households and businesses in the struggling eurozone.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

Much of the harm comes from a concept that health economists like me call churn – the cycling in and out of insurance that many lower-income Americans experience.

From Salon ● Jul. 19, 2026

Many economists, however, believe the Fed won’t hike at all this year.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

Some economists expect New Zealand’s annual inflation rate to reach a four-year high amid surging fuel prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

This should be as startling to economists as a burst of exotic radiation is to astronomers.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich