economist

noun

econ·​o·​mist i-ˈkä-nə-mist 

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

The government reported that nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 last month, less than the 73,000 that economists had forecasted, adding to the case for more Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026

Usha Haley, a Wichita State University economist who studies emerging markets, says for those hurting the most, there is no immediate sign of change. —Regina Garcia Cano, Fortune, 10 Jan. 2026

Hiring has been sluggish through 2025, which economists attributed to uncertainty around trade and obstinate inflation, as well as the concerns around AI’s impact on the labor market — factors that prompted the US Federal Reserve to cut interest rates three consecutive times late in the year. —Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

The reading fell short of economists' expectations. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 9 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for economist

• agronomist