uneconomic

un·eco·nom·ic | \ ˌən-ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mik

How to pronounce uneconomic (audio)

, -ˌē-kə- \

variants: or uneconomical \ ˌən-ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mi-kəl

How to pronounce uneconomical (audio)

, -ˌē-kə- \

Definition of uneconomic

: not economically practicable uneconomic transportation routes also : costly, wasteful an uneconomic nuclear technology

Examples of uneconomic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Gold ore can be viable at concentrations as low as 0.0001%, while copper becomes uneconomic below 0.5%. — Matthew Ross, The Conversation, "Mining powers modern life, but can leave scarred lands and polluted waters behind," 3 Oct. 2019 Similarly, while land grants fomented extensive rail networks, paved roads and diesel trucks made small branch lines uneconomic. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, "Real World Economics: Highway 91 revisited reflects our history," 29 Sep. 2019 The first is that some gas plants, like coal ones before them, become uneconomic as renewables keep getting cheaper. — The Economist, "Can American utilities profit from the energy transition?," 25 July 2019 These hot summer days are being used to keep otherwise uneconomic coal plants alive. — Benjamin Storrow, Scientific American, "As Temperatures Soar During Heat Wave, So Will CO2," 19 July 2019 To build the car commercially would be a completely uneconomic enterprise. — Michael J. Coren, Quartz, "The Beetle, 81, is no more," 11 July 2019 Analysts say the Bakken needs a higher oil price than other basins to be profitable because of transportation costs and other factors, potentially making the area uneconomic if U.S. oil prices stay around $50 a barrel. — Christopher M. Matthews, WSJ, "Oil’s Tumble Threatens U.S. Shale Drillers," 26 Nov. 2018 The world’s largest car market (about 25 million unit sales in 2017), China has soft-targeted 2040 for a total ban on IC transportation; but the point at which diesel becomes uneconomic for auto makers will come long before. — Dan Neil, WSJ, "Are We in the Last Days of Diesel?," 16 Aug. 2018 Using the Act to protect coal and nuclear facilities would almost certainly be more controversial, as the link between national defense and keeping uneconomic coal generators running is not well-established. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "White House reportedly exploring wartime rule to help coal, nuclear," 21 Apr. 2018

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

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Last Updated

22 Nov 2019

Cite this Entry

“Uneconomic.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uneconomic. Accessed 18 January 2020.

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