economic

adjective

eco·​nom·​ic ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mik How to pronounce economic (audio) ˌē-kə- How to pronounce economic (audio)
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
3
: having practical or industrial significance or uses : affecting material resources
4
5
archaic : of or relating to a household or its management

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 The Biden administration announced sanctions on two West Bank settlements Thursday, marking the first time economic restrictions have been placed on entire Israeli outposts in the Palestinian territory. Frances vinall, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 Sharif this week said that his biggest challenge is to overcome the lingering economic crisis. Munir Ahmed, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 When implementing economic policies, there is nothing more important than their proper sequencing. Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024 McCarty introduced a similar bill last year that was amended to make financial literacy an optional component of economic classes, something that could be done already. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 The Senate has been chipping away at the filibuster for decades, providing alternative ways to pass tax legislation, for instance, on simple majority votes — a process both parties have employed to enact economic measures. Carl Hulse, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 That represents nearly $22 trillion of housing wealth, concluded the authors, economist Jiayi Xu, economic data manager Sabrina Speianu, and chief economist Danielle Hale. Alena Botros, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 Then there are the indirect health risks of climate change: Chaotic weather and higher temperatures generate deadly natural disasters, bring diseases into new areas, and drive up economic insecurity and poor mental health. Rob Reddick, WIRED, 13 Mar. 2024 The larger challenge for cities like Washington may be economic. Sophie Hills, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'economic.' 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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of economic was in 1599

Dictionary Entries Near economic

Cite this Entry

“Economic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/economic. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on economic

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