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

/ ˌɛkə-; ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪkəl /

adjective

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

   an economical car

   an economical style

2. frugal; thrifty

   she was economical by nature

3. See economic
   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

Clearly, they believe they’ve solved the problem in a way that’s useful and economical.

From Singularity Hub 

The world of work has been undergoing change for years, driven by technological, economical, and societal factors.

From Fortune

Replacing the parts wouldn’t be economical—one estimate priced it at more than $800 million.

From MIT Technology Review

With only four colors of ink, it won’t deliver high-quality photo prints like some other printers, but for a home or office, it’s a sharp, fast, economical, and environmentally-friendly tool.

From Popular-Science

They sent one-minute video clips of five different runners to 121 coaches ranging from high school to international level, and asked them to rank the runners from most economical to least economical.

From Outside Online

In the cemetery fronting the chapel, the surrounding fortification offers temporary and economical burial vaults.

From The Daily Beast

Sometimes opportunistic, sometimes economical, sometimes simply random and seemingly for no reason at all.

From The Daily Beast

It was an understated, economical choice at the culmination of a campaign that, for the first lady, has been about just that.

From The Daily Beast

Peter Beinart on the two economical phrases Obama must utter.

From The Daily Beast

Both Democrats and Republicans must think harder about how to provide better and more economical care to dual-eligibles.

From The Daily Beast

She is tidy enough, but very thriftless—mean, without the power of being economical.

From Project Gutenberg

The collection and application of taxes and revenues will be put on a sound and honest economical basis.

From Project Gutenberg

Many, well qualified to judge, were satisfied that it would prove more economical than steam locomotion.

From Project Gutenberg

Other entertainments may be given upon economical principles, but a ball cannot.

From Project Gutenberg

By an economical use of time, one may gain a fair idea of Oxford in a few hours.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cost-effective
• efficient
• practical
• prudent