economic

adjective eco·nom·ic \ ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mik , ˌē-kə- \

Definition of economic

1 archaic :of or relating to a household or its management

2 :economical 2

3 a :of or relating to economics

economic theories

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

economic growth

c :of or relating to an economy

a group of economic advisers

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

5 :profitable

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See economic defined for kids

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 of economic from the Web

Analysts are looking for a pickup in activity for the second half of this year and an even faster growth in 2018 if Trump is successful in getting parts of his economic program passed by Congress.

— martin crutsinger, The Seattle Times, "Ahead of the Bell: Economy-GDP," 30 Aug. 2017
The gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, grew at an annual rate of 3 percent in the April-June quarter, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

— chicagotribune.com, "U.S. economic growth upgraded to 3 percent rate in Q2," 30 Aug. 2017
Handsome Lake was grateful for the Quakers’ efforts to help his people and supported most of their economic reforms.

— Longreads, "America’s First Addiction Epidemic," 29 Aug. 2017
China, although more than a thousand miles away, was the ancestral homeland of most Singaporeans and was embarking on economic reforms that captivated Mr. Lee.

— ian johnson, New York Times, "In Singapore, Chinese Dialects Revive After Decades of Restrictions," 26 Aug. 2017
Question: Is there an upside to business leaders resigning from White House economic panels?

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "CEOs and White House: An upside to leaving panels?," 25 Aug. 2017
And for me, the preferential option for the poor, which is something that's a key tenet of Catholic faith, that means upward mobility, that means economic growth, that means equality of opportunity.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "A Catholic Nun Schooled Paul Ryan in Humility Last Night," 22 Aug. 2017
But senior people within the White House insisted that the exit last week of Steve Bannon, Mr Trump’s chief strategist and architect of his nationalist economic stance, cleared the way for a more streamlined policy process.

— bess levin, vanityfair.com, "Can the White House Buy Its Way Out of Trump’s Neo-Nazi Problem?," 21 Aug. 2017
There is no economic agenda that has much of a near-term chance of getting done.

— william d. cohan, The Hive, "Please, God, Save Gary Cohn from Himself," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'economic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of economic

1599

economic Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

unprofitable

Related Words

advantageous, beneficial, favorable, rewarding, useful, worthwhile; bankable

Near Antonyms

disadvantageous, unfavorable

Other Economics Terms

actuary, compound interest, globalization, indemnity, portfolio, rentier, stagflation, usurer

ECONOMIC Defined for English Language Learners

economic

adjective

Definition of economic for English Language Learners

: relating to an economy : relating to the process or system by which goods and services are produced, sold, and bought
: relating to the science of economics