1590s, "pertaining to management of a household," perhaps shortened from economical, or else from French économique or directly from Latin oeconomicus "of domestic economy," from Greek oikonomikos "practiced in the management of a household or family" (also the name of a treatise by Xenophon on the duties of domestic life), hence, "frugal, thrifty," from oikonomia "household management" (see economy (n.)). Meaning "relating to the science of economics" is from 1835 and now is the main sense, economical retaining the older one of "characterized by thrift."

also socioeconomic, 1875; see socio- + economic.

also macro-economic, "pertaining to the economy as a whole," 1938, from macro- + economic.

1580s, "art of managing a household," perhaps from French économique (see economic); also see -ics. Meaning "science of wealth" is from 1792.

1570s, "pertaining to household management;" from economic + -al (1). Sense of "pertaining to political economy" is from 1781, but that sense more commonly goes with economic, and the main modern sense of this spelling is "thrifty" (1780). Related: Economically.

"of or pertaining to the science or study of wealth or riches," 1853, from Greek ploutos "wealth" (see Pluto) + ending from economic. Fell from currency 1870s, revived 1990s. Related: Plutonomy (1851); plutonomics (1991, a 19c. word for "the science of wealth and the natural laws governing its production and distribution" was plutology); plutonomist (1869).

"a decline," 1926 in an economic sense, from the prepositional phrase; see down (adv.) + turn (n.).

in the economic sense, as a form of outsourcing, attested by 1988, from off-shore.

1891, "release of air," noun of action from deflate (q.v.). In reference to currency or economic situations, from 1916. Related: Deflationary.

1925 in the economic sense, from hyper- "over, exceedingly, to excess" + inflation. Earlier as a medical term in treatment of lung diseases.