economy: Meaning and Definition of

e•con•o•my

Pronunciation: (i-kon'u-mē), [key]
— n., pl. adj., adv. -mies,
—n.
  1. thrifty management; frugality in the expenditure or consumption of money, materials, etc.
  2. an act or means of thrifty saving; a saving: He achieved a small economy by walking to work instead of taking a bus.
  3. the management of the resources of a community, country, etc., esp. with a view to its productivity.
  4. the prosperity or earnings of a place: Further inflation would endanger the national economy seriously.
  5. the disposition or regulation of the parts or functions of any organic whole; an organized system or method.
  6. the efficient, sparing, or concise use of something: an economy of effort; an economy of movement.
  7. See
    1. the divine plan for humanity, from creation through redemption to final beatitude.
    2. the method of divine administration, as at a particular time or for a particular race.
  8. the management of household affairs.
—adj.
  1. intended to save money: to reduce the staff in an economy move.
  2. costing less to make, buy, or operate: an economy car.
  3. of or pertaining to economy class: the economy fare to San Francisco.
—adv.
  1. in economy-class accommodations, or by economy-class conveyance: to travel economy.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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