economize
Americanverb (used without object)
-
economizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
economized,
past participle, past
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economizing
present participle
verb (used with object)
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economizes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
economized,
past participle, past
-
economizing
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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economizesimple
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economizessimple
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have economizedperfect
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has economizedperfect
-
am economizingprogressive
-
are economizingprogressive
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is economizingprogressive
-
have been economizingperfect progressive
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has been economizingperfect progressive
Past
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economizedsimple
-
had economizedperfect
-
was economizingprogressive
-
were economizingprogressive
-
had been economizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of economize
Explanation
To economize is to be frugal — to be careful not to waste anything, including money. You may need to economize on heating oil, keeping the temperature in your apartment on the nippy side during the winter. Giving a kid an allowance is one way to teach her to economize, spending it carefully in an attempt to save some and make the rest last. Unless money is no object, most people need to economize to some extent, being frugal and avoiding waste. In the 17th century, to economize was "to govern a household," from economy, at the time "household management," from the Greek oikonomia, "household management or thrift."
Vocabulary lists containing economize
Night
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Before We Were Free
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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.
See Examples For:
Or perhaps, if you can sense that coming, you could economize your care a few years in, so that you can stretch the funds further.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Once you get this intense level of demand for these goods in a given geographic region, it makes sense to essentially establish a stocking location nearby to economize on transportation costs,” Miller said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
He pointed to resilient consumer spending, continued business investment, and rising productivity, while acknowledging pressure on lower-income households that are trading down and trying to economize.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
You figure out what wording makes this joke concise, how to economize with words instead of overtalking, like I’m doing right now.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 21, 2025
Helen continued to look for work, and to economize.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Monique Louvigny, an event coordinator in the San Francisco Bay Area, economizes where she can.
From New York Times ● Jan. 6, 2024
Even laboratory mice, if deprived of food, can enter a state called torpor, a kind of standby mode that economizes energy.
From New York Times ● May 25, 2023
“That’s one of the reasons why he’s a pretty effective leader — it’s because he economizes words,” said Josh Holmes, a former chief of staff for Mr. McConnell who remains close to him.
From New York Times ● Mar. 20, 2018
It sums up details, economizes brain-work and so is cherished by the intellect.
From The Glands Regulating Personality by Louis Berman M.D.
Though individual instruction is necessary, it should not take the place of this general presentation of the subject-matter, which economizes time and develops the real thought content of the work.
From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Household Science in Rural Schools by Ontario. Ministry of Education
Jewison economized by having his cinematographer use a hand-held camera instead of fancier equipment.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
Jane and Maria economized and traded on their fame by making lengthy sojourns in the homes of the wealthy patrons they cultivated.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 25, 2022
There may be no more tiny, fragile body than Charlie Brown’s—the abbreviated torso, economized limbs, and naked, vulnerable head.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 6, 2019
“I think in an economized and puritanical world that is putting a priority on reason, to do something nonsensical is a strong and life-affirming experience, which puts everything in perspective.”
From New York Times ● Sep. 25, 2015
Twenty-two dollars strictly economized surely ought to keep her fed and sheltered in decent lodgings for at least three weeks; within which time she would quite as surely find employment of some sort.
From Joan Thursday by Louis Joseph Vance
Dollar stores aren’t the only retail option when it comes to economizing on Easter spending.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 2, 2026
Peter Wood, president of the conservative National Association of Scholars, said economizing academic programs to focus more on employment creates a different experience for three-year students.
From Washington Times ● Apr. 20, 2023
Consumers have so far absorbed higher prices, but analysts fear they could start economizing if higher prices persist too long.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2021
Yes, even in the midst of the Great Recession, customers were economizing on Starbucks, but not on more expensive brews.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2015
Theresa’s salary was barely enough; they were economizing less stringently than before, but still had to watch their expenses.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
