economy

[ih-kon-uh-mee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR economy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural e·con·o·mies.

thrifty management; frugality in the expenditure or consumption of money, materials, etc.

an act or means of thrifty saving; a saving: He achieved a small economy by walking to work instead of taking a bus.

the management of the resources of a community, country, etc., especially with a view to its productivity.

the prosperity or earnings of a place: Further inflation would endanger the national economy seriously.

the disposition or regulation of the parts or functions of any organic whole; an organized system or method.

the efficient, sparing, or concise use of something: an economy of effort; an economy of movement.

economy class.

Theology.

the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude.
the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race.

Obsolete. the management of household affairs.

adjective

intended to save money: to reduce the staff in an economy move.

costing less to make, buy, or operate: an economy car.

of or relating to economy class: the economy fare to San Francisco.

adverb

in economy-class accommodations, or by economy-class conveyance: to travel economy.

Origin of economy

1520–30; (< Middle French economie) < Latin oeconomia < Greek oikonomíā household management, equivalent to oîko(s) house + -nomia -nomy

Related formsnon·e·con·o·my, noun, plural non·e·con·o·mies.sub·e·con·o·my, noun, plural sub·e·con·o·mies.su·per·e·con·o·my, noun, plural su·per·e·con·o·mies.

Synonyms for economy

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR economy ON THESAURUS.COM

1. thriftiness, thrift, saving.

Antonyms for economy

1. lavishness, extravagance, wastefulness.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for economy

recession, layoff, decrease, parsimony, meanness, reduction, cutback, providence, regulation, discretion, thriftiness, thrift, direction, abridgement, restraint, prudence, carefulness, curtailment, austerity, care

Examples from the Web for economy

Contemporary Examples of economy

Unlike the Soviet Union at a certain period in history, the Russian economy does not hold a candle to that of the United States.
Oliver Stone’s Latest Dictator Suckup
James Kirchick
January 5, 2015
The economy has begun to add jobs, but the quality of those jobs is an increasing concern.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy
Monica Potts
January 3, 2015
Sometimes a column has the economy and rhythm of a short story.
The Best Columns of 2014
John Avlon, Errol Louis
December 31, 2014
Improving an economy is a lot harder with only half the population working.
The Women Battling an Islamist Strongman
Christina Asquith
December 22, 2014
The irony has thinned with the economy, perhaps: Who can really afford just to pretend to DIY today?
Glenn Beck Is Now Selling Hipster Clothes. Really.
Ana Marie Cox
December 20, 2014

Historical Examples of economy

If we permit our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will suffer most.
United States Presidents' Inaugural Speeches
Various
It would not be in keeping with His economy to have any entity wasted.
The Conquest of Fear
Basil King
What, then, is civilization in the economy of the human animal?
Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia
Thomas Mitchell
(b) How can economy be exercised in the use of butter in cooking?
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 2
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
For convenience and economy, these jars or cans should be labeled.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 1
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences

British Dictionary definitions for economy

economy

noun plural -mies

careful management of resources to avoid unnecessary expenditure or waste; thrift

a means or instance of this; saving

sparing, restrained, or efficient use, esp to achieve the maximum effect for the minimum efforteconomy of language

the complex of human activities concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
a particular type or branch of such production, distribution, and consumptiona socialist economy; an agricultural economy

the management of the resources, finances, income, and expenditure of a community, business enterprise, etc

a class of travel in aircraft, providing less luxurious accommodation than first class at a lower fare
(as modifier)economy class

(modifier) offering or purporting to offer a larger quantity for a lower priceeconomy pack

the orderly interplay between the parts of a system or structurethe economy of nature

philosophy the principle that, of two competing theories, the one with less ontological presupposition is to be preferred

archaic the management of household affairs; domestic economy

Word Origin for economy

C16: via Latin from Greek oikonomia domestic management, from oikos house + -nomia, from nemein to manage

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

Word Origin and History for economy

1530s, "household management," from Latin oeconomia, from Greek oikonomia "household management, thrift," from oikonomos "manager, steward," from oikos "house" (cognate with Latin vicus "district," vicinus "near;" Old English wic "dwelling, village;" see villa) + nomos "managing," from nemein "manage" (see numismatics). The sense of "wealth and resources of a country" (short for political economy) is from 1650s.

adj.

as a term in advertising, at first meant simply "cheaper" (1821), then "bigger and thus cheaper per unit or amount" (1950). See economy (n.).