economical

English

Alternative forms

economicall, œconomicall (obsolete)
œconomical (archaic)

Etymology

Etymology tree

English economic

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-der.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālisbor.

Old French -albor.

▲

Latin -ālis

Old French -elbor.

▲

Latin -ālisbor.

Middle English -al

English -al

English economical

From economic + -al.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌiː.kəˈnɒm.ɪ.kəl/, /ˌɛk.əˈnɒm.ɪ.kəl/
(General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˌɛk.əˈnɑ.mɪ.kəl/, /ˌi.kəˈnɑ.mɪ.kəl/
Audio (US): (file)
(General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˌek.əˈnɔm.ɪ.kəl/, /ˌiː.kəˈnɔm.ɪ.kəl/

Adjective

economical (comparative more economical, superlative most economical)

Careful with money so as not to spend too much; prudent; thrifty.
Synonyms: abstemious, penny-pinching, sparing; see also Thesaurus:frugal

He was an economical person by nature.
Saving money or resources.
Synonyms: bargainous, inexpensive, low-cost; see also Thesaurus:cheap

The new, eco-friendly bicycle was an economical purchase.
- 1958 February, “Notes and News: Merthyr-Abergavenny Service”, in Railway Magazine, page 138:
  Regular freight trains between Abergavenny and Merthyr were withdrawn on November 24, 1954, because it was found both practicable and more economical to send this traffic by less severely-graded routes.
- 1961 March, “The new Glasgow Central signalbox”, in Trains Illustrated, page 177:
  The whole [resignalling] scheme has proved more economical than the construction of a new Clyde bridge.
(dated) Relating to economy in any other sense.
- 1854, Patrick Edward Dove, The Elements of Political Science‎^[1], part 2, page 246:
  In economical science, value and the power of producing value are taken into consideration.
- 1922, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Capital and Interest: A Critical History of Economical Theory‎^[2], page 218:
  By Use, then, in the sense given it by the Say-Hermann school, we have to think of an objective useful element which proceeds from goods, and acquires independent economical existence as well as independent economical value.
- 2007, Who's Who in the Arab World‎^[3], page 312:
  Doctor in Economical Sciences.
- 2010, New Techniques and Technologies in Mining‎^[4], page 20:
  Economical function usually has anti-crisis orientation and forms stable economical development of the state.
(cricket) Having a low economy rate.
Antonym: expensive

Usage notes

Modern usage prefers economic when describing the economy of a region or country (and when referring to personal or family budgeting). Economical is preferred when referring to thrift or value for money. Cf. the adjective economy.

Derived terms

Translations

careful with money — see also frugal

Bulgarian: икономичен (bg) (ikonomičen)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 節約的 / 节约的 (zh) (jiéyuē de)
Czech: hospodárný (cs)
Dutch: spaarzaam (nl), zuinig (nl)
Finnish: säästeliäs (fi), säästäväinen (fi)
French: économe (fr)
German: sparsam (de), wirtschaftlich (de), ökonomisch (de)
Greek: οικονομικός (el) (oikonomikós), οικονόμος (el) (oikonómos), φειδωλός (el) (feidolós)
Hungarian: gazdaságos (hu)
Irish: eacnamaíoch, eacnamúil
Latin: parcus
Latvian: ekonomisks
Persian: اقتصادی (fa) (eqtesâdi)
Polish: ekonomiczny (pl), oszczędny (pl)
Russian: эконо́мный (ru) (ekonómnyj), бережли́вый (ru) (berežlívyj)
Scottish Gaelic: cùramach
Slovene: varčen, gospodaren, ekonomičen
Spanish: económico (es), ahorrador (es), ahorroso
Swedish: sparsam (sv)
Ukrainian: еконо́мний (uk) (ekonómnyj)

relating to economy — see economic

saving money or resources

Chinese:
Mandarin: 經濟實惠的 / 经济实惠的 (jīngjì shíhuì de)
Finnish: edullinen (fi), taloudellinen (fi)
French: économique (fr)
Greek: οικονομικός (el) (oikonomikós)
Hungarian: gazdaságos (hu)
Irish: eacnamaíoch, eacnamúil
Persian: اقتصادی (fa) (eqtesâdi)
Polish: oszczędnościowy (pl)
Russian: экономи́чный (ru) (ekonomíčnyj)
Spanish: económico (es)
Ukrainian: еконо́мний (uk) (ekonómnyj)