economy

1 of 2

noun

econ·​o·​my i-ˈkä-nə-mē How to pronounce economy (audio)
ə-,
ē-
plural economies
1
: the structure or conditions of economic life in a country, area, or period
also : an economic system
2
a
: thrifty and efficient use of material resources : frugality in expenditures
also : an instance or a means of economizing : saving
b
: efficient and concise use of nonmaterial resources (such as effort, language, or motion)
3
a
: the arrangement or mode of operation of something : organization
b
: a system especially of interaction and exchange
an economy of information
4
archaic : the management of household or private affairs and especially expenses

economy

2 of 2

adjective

: designed to save money
economy cars

Examples of economy in a Sentence

Noun The war altered the country's economy. An increase in tourism will help the city's economy. We must learn to practice economy. We'll also benefit from the economies provided by more efficient energy sources. It would be false economy to repair the leak without replacing the pipe.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The trade deal led to a permanent realignment of the Canadian economy and huge increases in north-south trade. Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2024 Independence officials say their city’s economy would be hurt and tax revenues will slide if the Royals move from Kauffman Stadium to a new ballpark in downtown Kansas City or North Kansas City. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024 Moving before the central bank of the world’s biggest economy would be an unusual step for the ECB. Anna Cooban, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 For Mead Johnson, the maker of Enfamil, the benefits of developing economies were twofold. Heather Vogell, ProPublica, 21 Mar. 2024 The country’s economy largely stagnated before declining last year, registering negative GDP growth of -0.3% in 2023. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 21 Mar. 2024 Finding jobs has become harder as the world's second-largest economy slows, with the jobless rate hitting a record 21.3% last June among those aged 16 to 24, which includes college students. Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024 The group is directly affected by weakness in the mainland Chinese economy, which has recovered only slowly since the end of the COVID pandemic, and by ongoing regulatory concerns. Patrick Frater, Variety, 20 Mar. 2024 During the Covid-19 pandemic, Hong Kong rolled out some of the world’s toughest travel restrictions, hurting its economy. Joy Dong, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'economy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English yconomye, borrowed from Middle French yconomie, economie, borrowed from Medieval Latin yconomia, economia, oekonomia (Late Latin, "organization of the Trinity, plan, dispensation," Latin oeconomia "arrangement of material by an author,"), borrowed from Greek oikonomía "management of a household, direction, arrangement," from oikonómos "manager of a household, steward," (from oîkos "house" + -nomos, noun derivative of némein "to have management or control of, rule, direct") + -ia -y entry 2 — more at vicinity, nimble

Adjective

from attributive use of economy entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Adjective

1821, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of economy was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near economy

Cite this Entry

“Economy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/economy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

economy

noun
econ·​o·​my
i-ˈkän-ə-mē
plural economies
1
: careful use of money and goods : thrift
2
: a special arrangement or system : organization
3
: the way an economic system (as of a country or a period in history) is arranged
Etymology

Noun

derived from Greek oikonomos "household manager," from oikos "house" and nemein "to manage"

Medical Definition

economy

noun
econ·​o·​my i-ˈkän-ə-mē How to pronounce economy (audio)
plural economies
1
: the system of operation of the processes of anabolism and catabolism in living bodies
the economy of the cell
2
: the body of an animal or plant as an organized whole
disorganizing wide segments of the body economyLeonard Engel

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