Economically

How to spell economically

12 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce economically

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does economically mean?

1. adverbIn a way that relates to the economy, finance, or the production and use of wealth.
2. adverbIn a way that avoids waste and uses money or resources sparingly.

Economically in a sentence

• The region remains economically dependent on a single export.

• The new heating system runs far more economically than the old boiler.

• The two countries are linked both politically and economically.

• By buying in bulk, the cafe stocks its kitchen more economically.

Where does economically come from?

Language of origin: Greek

This word traces back through several layers of suffixes to the Greek oikonomia, which literally meant the management of a household, built from oikos meaning 'house' and the root nemein meaning 'to manage or distribute'. The household sense broadened to the careful management of resources in general, and by the 1600s English had 'economy' for thrift and for the wealth of a community. The adjective 'economic' followed, then 'economical', and finally the adverb 'economically' by stacking the standard endings -ic, -al, and -ly. Because the word piles up so many quiet syllables (the unstressed -i-, -cal-, and -ly), spellers often lose track of the doubled chain of suffixes rather than the root. Knowing that the same oikos lives inside 'ecology' and 'ecosystem' helps anchor the eco- opening.

How the word is built

• eco- (from Greek oikos: house, household)
• nom (from nemein: to manage, distribute)
• -ic (adjective)
• -al (adjective)
• -ly (adverb)