economist

noun

econ·​o·​mist i-ˈkä-nə-mist How to pronounce economist (audio)
1
archaic : one who practices economy
2
: a specialist in economics

Examples of economist in a Sentence

Economists are predicting rapid inflation.
Recent Examples on the Web Some economists are looking even further ahead to the Fed’s Summary of Economic Projections, slated for release at its March policy meeting. Krystal Hur, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Kathryn Anne Edwards is a labor economist and independent policy consultant. Kathryn Anne Edwards, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Still, economists and government officials blame the inflation of the past few years on a mix of factors: supply disruptions during the pandemic, a tighter (and more expensive) labor market, higher gas prices as well as tighter commodity markets amid the war in the Ukraine. The Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2024 On Friday, the Labor Department is expected to announce a solid 200,000 job gains in February, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists. Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 Still, the dramatic escalation of federal debt under both presidents will hurt the economy in the long term, most economists agree. Jacob Turcotte, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2024 In fact, almost 6 in 10 voters polled by CBS News described the U.S. economy under Biden as bad, even as economists' views are much more upbeat due to the nation's stronger-than-expected GDP and low unemployment. Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2024 But Richard Paulsen, a sports economist at the University of Michigan, wonders when push comes to shove if college athletes would be willing to strike. Andrea Hsu, NPR, 5 Mar. 2024 But a mass retrenching in consumer spending — the main driver of the US economy — is unlikely this year, according to economists. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2024

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

Middle French oeconome, iconome "manager of a household" (borrowed from Medieval Latin oeconomus, going back to Late Latin, "administrator, manager," borrowed from Greek oikonómos "manager of a household, steward") + -ist entry 1 — more at economy entry 1

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of economist was in 1586

Dictionary Entries Near economist

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on economist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!