economic

Everyday

1. To do with money, trade, jobs and business in a country or area: economic growth. tree →
2. (sometimes) Making a profit or giving good value — but the usual word for this is «economical». tree →

In the lessons

In social studies and news «economic» describes the money side of life — the economy; «economic problems» means not enough money or jobs. Phrases: «economic growth», «economic crisis», «economic reasons».

Examples

• The country had a hard economic time with many people out of work. tree →
• The factory closed for economic reasons. tree →
• New shops bring economic growth to a town. tree →
• Farming is an important economic activity there. tree →
• We learned about economic links between countries. tree →
• The economic news was good: more people had jobs. tree →

Note

Trap: «economic» = about money and the economy; «economical» = not wasting money or fuel (an economical car). Say «ee-kuh-NOM-ik» or «ek-uh-NOM-ik».