economical

[ ek-uh-nom-i-kuhl, ee-kuh- ]

adjective

1. avoiding waste or extravagance; thrifty:

   an economical meal; an economical use of interior space.

   Synonyms: parsimonious, sparing, provident, saving

   Antonyms: profligate, prodigal, spendthrift, extravagant, wasteful

2. economic.

economical

/ ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪkəl; ˌɛkə- /

adjective

1. using the minimum required; not wasteful of time, effort, resources, etc

   an economical style

   an economical car

2. frugal; thrifty

   she was economical by nature

3. a variant of economic economic economic economic
4. euphemistic.
   deliberately withholding information (esp in the phrase economical with the truth )

Other Words From

• none·co·nomi·cal adjective
• none·co·nomi·cal·ly adverb
• preec·o·nomi·cal adjective
• preec·o·nomi·cal·ly adverb
• pseudo·eco·nomi·cal adjective
• pseudo·eco·nomi·cal·ly adverb
• quasi-eco·nomi·cal adjective
• quasi-eco·nomi·cal·ly adverb
• unec·o·nomi·cal adjective
• unec·o·nomi·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of economical¹

First recorded in 1570–80; economic + -al ¹

Synonym Study

See frugal.

Example Sentences

Drilling for oil out at sea has become expensive compared with far more economical alternatives such as the fracking fields in the Permian Basin, which straddled Texas and New Mexico.

From Los Angeles Times

"It makes no political, economical or environmental sense whatsoever," said Paul Morozzo, Greenpeace's UK’s senior transport campaigner.

From BBC

“These cars that have been damaged in the US, most of the time it does not make economical sense to rebuild them in the US,” says Mr Gulashvili.

From BBC

I’m not gonna say we’re in the best economical place I could be in terms of money, but I do not feel that pressure anymore.

From Los Angeles Times

While coach seats are economical, getting to actually lie down for shut-eye in the private rooms can make a world of difference.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cost-effective
• efficient
• practical
• prudent