economy

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noun

econ·o·my i-ˈkä-nə-mē

ə-,

ē-

plural economies

Synonyms of economy next

: the structure or conditions of economic life in a country, area, or period

also : an economic system

: thrifty and efficient use of material resources : frugality in expenditures

also : an instance or a means of economizing : saving

: efficient and concise use of nonmaterial resources (such as effort, language, or motion)

: the arrangement or mode of operation of something : organization

: a system especially of interaction and exchange

an economy of information

archaic : the management of household or private affairs and especially expenses

economy

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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

In many ways, the Fed’s fight to slow down an overheated economy has turned out better than expected. —

Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2023 Casinos and hotels can be crippled by long outages, which could dent local economies. —

James Rundle, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2023 New York also has an enormous, diverse economy and, crucially, a robust transit system. —

Miriam Jordan, New York Times, 20 Sep. 2023 While rural and suburban commuters see interstates as a daily connection to work, urban entertainment and high-speed crosstown connectors, the freeways also are key to the nation's economy. —

Mark Nichols, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2023 Putting the focus on managing waste risks getting locked into a cycle where people have to keep producing plastic to feed those waste management systems, said Jane Patton, campaigns manager on the U.S. fossil economy at the Center for International Environmental Law. —

Lisa Song, ProPublica, 19 Sep. 2023 Advocates say the state’s strong economy and low unemployment rate likely keep enrollment low compared to other states but barriers like a complicated application also are factors. —

Megan Banta, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023 When company profits and sales are strong, there's a low employment rate and a strong economy, unions do rather well. —

Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2023 Enter Email Sign Up The waiver drew criticism of President Joe Biden from Republicans and others who say the deal will boost the Iranian economy at a time when Iran poses a growing threat to U.S. troops and Mideast allies. —

Matthew Lee, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 See More

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