economically

American  

[ek-uh-nom-ik-lee, ee-kuh-] / ˌɛk əˈnɒm ɪk li, ˌi kə- /

adverb

1. in a thrifty or frugal manner; with economy.

2. as regards the efficient use of income and wealth.

   economically feasible proposals.

3. as regards one's personal resources of money.

   He's quite well off economically.

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economically British  

/ ˌɛkə-, ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪkəlɪ /

adverb

1. with economy or thrift; without waste

2. with regard to the economy of a person, country, etc

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Etymology

Origin of economically

First recorded in 1690–1700; economical + -ly

Explanation

If you do something economically, you do it in an efficient manner. Acting economically wastes no money or effort. Though variations of this word often relate to the economy — the financial system — to be economical also means to be thrifty in other senses. For example, if you do your homework economically, you do it quickly and correctly, without wasted energy or time. If you run errands economically, you take the shortest route and don't get sidetracked. If you take a road trip economically, you drive across the country as fast as possible and in a straightforward manner, without deviations.

Example Sentences

Kristalina Georgieva, IMF managing director told me, the world faced a "slower moving shock" while the World Bank's president Ajay Banga told me about the impact on economically poorer countries.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Having a lower-priced ad-tier is a positive for Netflix, as the company can prevent users from cancelling outright if they are feeling economically pressured.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

“There’s still a majority of people who see a future for themselves here, economically, and that’s what’s going to keep this region going.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

“As development becomes cheaper and faster, organizations are building more software, which helps offset pressure on headcount by expanding the number of projects that are economically viable,” the analysts write.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

A major reason is that Aborigines remained hunter-gatherers, whereas, as we saw in Chapters 12-14, those developments arose elsewhere only in populous and economically specialized societies of food producers.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond