What does economising mean?
Economising means reducing costs, avoiding waste, or using money and other resources more efficiently. It is especially common in British English, where the -ising spelling is standard, although the word is also widely understood in American English as “economizing.” The expression frequently takes the preposition “on,” as in “economising on energy” or “economising on transport costs,” which identifies the area in which savings are being made. The word can carry a positive connotation of prudence and effective planning, but it may also suggest cutting back on something that people consider desirable or necessary. In business, government, household, and charitable contexts, it often describes deliberate efforts to obtain more value from a limited budget. More broadly, economising can involve reusing, repairing, reducing, or eliminating waste rather than simply making do with less. Its usefulness lies in expressing a practical form of restraint that can preserve resources while maintaining efficiency or, at least, intended results.
verbReducing expenditure, using resources more efficiently, or avoiding unnecessary costs. It often appears with “on,” indicating the thing being reduced or economised.
- The act of reducing costs, expenditure, or unnecessary use of resources.
"The charity is economising on administration so that more money reaches those in need."
"The company is economising on travel by holding more meetings online."
"By repairing and reusing old equipment, the school is economising without reducing the quality of its teaching."
Economising is not simply doing less; it is often the art of achieving the same result while spending less or wasting less.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Words that share this root
Related word forms
How economising is actually used
The spelling with -ising is standard in British English, while American English generally uses -izing. As a present participle, the word normally follows an auxiliary such as “is,” “are,” “was,” or “has been”; it can also function as a gerund in phrases such as “the economising of resources.”
Easily confused with economising
“Economising” is the usual British spelling, while “economizing” is the usual American spelling; both have the same meaning and pronunciation apart from regional vowel variation.