[syn: economical, frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Economic \E`co*nom"ic\ (?; 277), Economical \E`co*nom"ic*al\, a.
[F. ['e]conomique, L. oeconomicus orderly, methodical, Gr. ?
economical. See Economy.]
1. Pertaining to the household; domestic. "In this economical
misfortune [of ill-assorted matrimony.]" --Milton.
[1913 Webster]
2. Relating to domestic economy, or to the management of
household affairs.
[1913 Webster]
And doth employ her economic art
And busy care, her household to preserve. --Sir J.
Davies.
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3. Managing with frugality; guarding against waste or
unnecessary expense; careful and frugal in management and
in expenditure; -- said of character or habits.
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Just rich enough, with economic care,
To save a pittance. --Harte.
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4. Managed with frugality; not marked with waste or
extravagance; using the minimum of time or effort or
resources required for effectiveness; frugal; -- said of
acts; saving; as, an economical use of money or of time;
an economic use of home heating oil. [WordNet sense 3]
[1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
5. of or pertaining to the national or regional economy;
relating to political economy; relating to the means of
living, or the resources and wealth of a country; relating
to the production or consumption of goods and services of
a nation or region; as, economic growth; economic
purposes; economical truths; an economic downturn.
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These matters economical and political. --J. C.
Shairp.
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There was no economical distress in England to
prompt the enterprises of colonization. --Palfrey.
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Economic questions, such as money, usury, taxes,
lands, and the employment of the people. --H. C.
Baird.
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6. Regulative; relating to the adaptation of means to an end.
--Grew.
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7. of or pertaining to economics. economic theory
[WordNet 1.5]
8. profitable. Opposite of uneconomic. [WordNet sense 4]
[WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
9. avoiding waste; as, an economical meal. Opposite of
wasteful.
Syn: frugal, scotch, sparing, stinting, thrifty.
[WordNet 1.5]
Note: Economical is the usual form when meaning frugal,
saving; economic is the form commonly used when meaning
pertaining to the management of a household, or of
public affairs.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
economical
adj 1: using the minimum of time or resources necessary for
effectiveness; "an economic use of home heating oil"; "a
modern economical heating system"; "an economical use of
her time" [syn: economic, economical]
2: of or relating to an economy, the system of production and
management of material wealth; "economic growth"; "aspects of
social, political, and economical life" [syn: economic,
economical]
3: avoiding waste; "an economical meal"; "an economical
shopper"; "a frugal farmer"; "a frugal lunch"; "a sparing
father and a spending son"; "sparing in their use of heat and
light"; "stinting in bestowing gifts"; "thrifty because they
remember the great Depression"; "`scotch' is used only
informally" [syn: economical, frugal, scotch,
sparing, stinting]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
56 Moby Thesaurus words for "economical":
Scotch, budget, canny, careful, chary, cheap, cheeseparing, close,
conservative, conserving, easy, economic, economizing, economy,
forehanded, frugal, inexpensive, labor-saving, low, low-priced,
manageable, mean, miserly, moderate, modest, money-saving,
niggardly, nominal, parsimonious, penny-pinching, penny-wise,
penurious, politico-economic, provident, prudent, prudential,
reasonable, saving, scrimping, sensible, shabby, shoddy, skimping,
socio-economic, spare, sparing, stingy, thrifty, tight,
tight-fisted, time-saving, token, unexpensive, unwasteful,
within means, worth the money