1530s, "household management," from Latin oeconomia (source of French économie, Spanish economia, German Ökonomie, etc.), from Greek oikonomia "household management, thrift," from oikonomos "manager, steward," from oikos "house, abode, dwelling" (cognate with Latin vicus "district," vicinus "near;" Old English wic "dwelling, village," from PIE root *weik- (1) "clan") + nomos "managing," from nemein "manage" (from PIE root *nem- "assign, allot; take"). Meaning "frugality, judicious use of resources" is from 1660s. The sense of "wealth and resources of a country" (short for political economy) is from 1650s.

1580s, "household manager," from French économiste; see economy + -ist. Meaning "student of political economy" is from 1804.

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

"doctrine or system of protection in political economy," 1846, from protectionist + -ism.

also macro-economics, "the science or study of the economy as a whole," by 1946, from macroeconomic; also see -ics.