Menu
Find words

economic

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/
adjective

ECONOMIC meaning: a word about an economy or good value, scoring 14 Scrabble points across eight letters.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Adjective 3 meanings

  1. Pertaining to an economy.

  2. Frugal; cheap (in the sense of representing good value); economical.

  3. Pertaining to the study of money and its movement.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English economike, iconomique (“household management”), and then: * from Middle French iconomique, oeconomique, and Old French iconomike (“(noun) household management; person in charge of household management; (adjective) relating to household management; relating to domestic or family matters; relating to management of a state; reducing costs or expenses, economical”) (modern French économique); and * from their etymon Latin oeconomicus (“(noun) household manager, housekeeper, steward; (adjective) relating to orderly arrangement of written material”) (whence Late Latin economicus (“relating to (management of) a household”)), and economica (“household management”), both from Ancient Greek οἰκονομῐκός (oikonomĭkós, “skilled in household management; frugal, thrifty, economical”) (whence Koine Greek οἰκονομῐκός (oikonomĭkós, “relating to orderly arrangement of written material”)); from οἰκονόμος (oikonómos, “master of a house; household manager, steward; administrator, manager”) + -ῐκός (-ĭkós, suffix meaning ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
thriftybargainousabstemiouscannycharymoderatecheapeconomical

ECONOMIC is a familiar adjective with a less familiar tile profile: two Cs and an M supply nine of its 14 points. It describes matters connected with an economy or the study of money, and it can also mean frugal or good value. That second sense puts the word in everyday conversation as well as business writing.

ECONOMIC at a glance

  • ECONOMIC has eight letters and scores 14 points before board bonuses.
  • ONCOMICE is its only anagram.
  • ECONOMIC has zero one-letter neighbors.
  • Twelve rhymes share its final MIC sound, including COMIC and ACADEMIC.

What is the ECONOMIC meaning?

ECONOMIC primarily means related to an economy or to the study and movement of money. An economic policy, for example, concerns how resources, jobs, or trade are managed. The word also has a thrift-related sense: something economic can be frugal or good value.

That second meaning is close to economical, but ECONOMIC is not limited to describing prices or spending. Its broader economy-related sense appears in phrases about growth, conditions, and research. The surrounding noun usually makes the intended meaning clear.

ECONOMIC is common in English, with a frequency count of 6,081. Its familiar spelling can make the unusual arrangement of two Cs and two Os easy to overlook when you are checking a rack.

How does ECONOMIC score 14 Scrabble points?

ECONOMIC scores 14 points from its letter values: each C is worth three, and M is worth three; E, both Os, N, and I are worth one apiece. The three higher-value tiles contribute nine points together, while the five one-point tiles add the rest.

ONCOMICE is the only anagram, though it is far less familiar than ECONOMIC. Twelve rhymes end with the same MIC sound, including COMIC, ACADEMIC, DYNAMIC, and ATOMIC. Those are sound matches, not alternative spellings of the word.

The ECONOMIC meaning may make the word easy to recognize, but its eight-letter length can be a constraint when you have a short opening. It also has no one-letter neighbors, so there is no simple single-tile spelling change to try.

Rhymes with economic

All rhymes

Questions people ask

Is ECONOMIC a valid Scrabble word?
Yes, ECONOMIC is accepted in ENABLE, NWL2023, and Collins. It is an eight-letter word worth 14 points before any board bonuses. Its meaning relates to economies or money, and it can also describe something frugal or good value.
What is the anagram of ECONOMIC?
ONCOMICE is the only anagram of ECONOMIC. It uses the same letters, including both Cs and both Os, in a different order. The anagram is much less familiar in everyday English, so double-check the spelling when you rearrange the tiles.
What words rhyme with ECONOMIC?
COMIC, ACADEMIC, DYNAMIC, and ATOMIC rhyme with ECONOMIC. Twelve rhymes share its final MIC sound, including COSMIC and SYSTEMIC. These words match its ending sound, but they do not all share its meaning or spelling pattern.

Keep going