economy

plural economies · alternative archaic oeconomy · alternative archaic œconomy

1. Effective management of a community or system, or especially its resources.
   1. countableobsoleteuncountableThe regular operation of nature in the generation, nutrition and preservation of animals or plants.

      animal economy, vegetable economy

   2. countableobsoleteuncountableSystem of management; general regulation and disposition of the affairs of a state or nation, or of any department of government.
   3. countableobsoleteuncountableA system of rules, regulations, rites and ceremonies.

      the Jewish economy

   4. countableobsoleteuncountableThe disposition or arrangement of any work.

      the economy of a poem

      1 more example

      The place pleased them so much that they spent all their spare time there, scratching and cutting their names on the top of every tower; and at last, having exhausted all other places, finished up with inscribing H.EAST, T.BROWN, on the minute-hand of the great clock; in the doing of which they held the minute-hand, and disturbed the clock's economy.

      1857, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown's School Days

2. countableuncountableThe study of money, currency and trade, and the efficient use of resources.
3. countableuncountableFrugal use of resources.

   economy of word

   2 more examples

   April 5, 1729, Jonathan Swift, letter to St. John I have no other notion of economy than that it is the parent to liberty and ease.

   Every possible economy was carefully investigated and unnecessary expense, however small, eliminated. The company had no money to spare on "frills."

   1956 September, 'Precursor', “The Dursley & Midland Junction Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 599

4. countableuncountableThe system of production and distribution and consumption. The overall measure of a currency system; as the national economy.

   1 more example

   An economy open to free movement of capital can keep a fixed exchange rate, for example, only by subjugating monetary-policy goals to its defence—by raising interest rates sharply, say, when capital outflows put downward pressure on the currency. Yet the trilemma also implies that an economy can enjoy both free capital flows and an independent monetary policy, so long as it gives up worrying about its exchange rate. […] As advanced economies opened their monetary spigots to boost ailing economies, emerging-market complaints grew louder.

   2013 August 31, “Horns of a trilemma”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8851, archived from the original on 12 Mar 2023

5. countableuncountablelifestyleThe method of divine government of the world. (See Economy (religion) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia )

   The economy of God is in Jesus Christ alone.

6. UScountableuncountableThe part of a commercial passenger airplane or train reserved for those paying the lower standard fares; economy class.
7. archaiccountableuncountableManagement of one’s residency.

alternative archaic oeconomy · alternative archaic œconomy

1. not comparableCheap to run; using minimal resources; representing good value for money; economical.

   Economy size.

   1 more example

   He bought an economy car.

alternative archaic oeconomy · alternative archaic œconomy

1. USnot comparableIn or via the part of a commercial passenger airplane reserved for those paying the lower standard fares.

   Numerous web sites have tips on how to fly economy.