economical

adjective

eco·​nom·​i·​cal ˌe-kə-ˈnä-mi-kəl 

ˌē-kə-

1

: marked by careful, efficient, and prudent use of resources : thrifty

an economical shopper

2

: operating with little waste or at a saving

an economical car

3

archaic : economic sense 5

Synonyms

• economizing
• frugal
• provident
• scrimping
• sparing
• thrifty

Choose the Right Synonym for economical

sparing, frugal, thrifty, economical mean careful in the use of one's money or resources.

sparing stresses abstention and restraint.

sparing in the offering of advice

frugal implies absence of luxury and simplicity of lifestyle.

ran a frugal household

thrifty stresses good management and industry.

thrifty use of nonrenewable resources

economical stresses prudent management, lack of wastefulness, and use of things to their best advantage.

an economical health care plan

Examples of economical in a Sentence

an economical way to heat your house

a practical and economical solution to the problem

Recent Examples on the Web

All those years of churning out newsweekly copy helped make Whitaker an instinctive crafter of miniature character arcs who chooses the right details and paints portraits with swift, economical strokes. —Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025

Often situated right next to HomeGoods, many people forget about this flourishing neighbor when on the hunt for economical home finds. —Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 1 May 2025

Many left for shale drilling areas like the Bakken in North Dakota or the Permian Basin in southern New Mexico and Texas where drilling on private land was more productive, lucrative and economical. —Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025

With portable offices, companies can create new offices as required by employees, which is optimized and economical in operational efficiency as well as budgetary allocations. —Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin oeconomicus "relating to domestic affairs, economic" + -al entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Phrases Containing economical

• economical prices

Rhymes for economical

• anatomical
• astronomical
• comical
• neuroanatomical
• uneconomical

Kids Definition

economical

adjective

ec·​o·​nom·​i·​cal

ˌek-ə-ˈnäm-i-kəl,

ˌē-kə-

1

: using resources with care and without waste

2

: operating with little waste or at a savings

an economical car

economically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb