economic

adjective

eco·​nom·​ic ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mik  ˌē-kə- 

1

a

: of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

economic growth

b

: of or relating to an economy

a group of economic advisers

c

: of or relating to economics

economic theories

2

: economical sense 1

3

: having practical or industrial significance or uses : affecting material resources

4

: profitable

5

archaic : of or relating to a household or its management

Synonyms

• fat
• gainful
• juicy
• lucrative
• money-spinning [chiefly British]
• moneymaking
• paying
• profitable
• remunerative

Examples of economic in a Sentence

a program to prevent inflation and economic collapse

the President's chief economic adviser

We're looking for a more economic way of doing business.

Recent Examples on the Web

Back in 2020, Congress passed – and President Trump signed – a $2 trillion bipartisan stimulus package to address the economic struggles caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. —Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025

Good Ol’ Fashioned Soft Power, Here and Abroad Soft power, by definition, is the ability to attract others to one’s cause without the brute force of coercion, legal requirements, or explicit economic incentives. —Penny Abeywardena, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

The starting point for the feature was a research trip to Chongqing in 2018, to interview people who belong to the first generation of business owners in the 1990s, when economic reforms begun in the mid 1970s started to encourage private enterprise. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 22 Feb. 2025

It could be extended to other economic sectors, but without some reliable data on effects, everyone involved is shooting in the dark. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French yconomique "relating to domestic affairs, relating to the management of a household," borrowed from Medieval Latin oeconomicus (Latin as the title of Xenophon's dialogue Oeconomicus), borrowed from Greek oikonomikós "of a householder or manager, practiced in household or financial management," from oikonómos "manager of a household, steward" + -ikos -ic entry 1 — more at economy entry 1

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Phrases Containing economic

• anti-economic
• economic nationalism
• economic populism
• economic rent
• exclusive economic zone
• socio-economic

Rhymes for economic

• anatomic
• antidromic
• astronomic
• autonomic
• cryptogamic
• diatomic
• ergonomic
• gastronomic
• monatomic
• psychonomic
• subatomic
• taxonomic

Kids Definition

economic

adjective

ec·​o·​nom·​ic

ˌek-ə-ˈnäm-ik,

ˌē-kə-

1

a

: of or relating to the science of economics

economic theories

b

: of, relating to, or based on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

economic growth

2

: having practical or industrial uses : affecting material resources

economic pests