What does economize mean?
Economize is a verb meaning to spend less money or consume fewer resources, typically by cutting out waste. It appears most often in discussions of household budgets, business costs, and government spending — people economize on groceries, fuel, or staff when times are tight — but it can extend metaphorically to conserving time, energy, or effort. The word carries a connotation of prudence and sensible restraint: to economize is generally seen as responsible, though being "forced to economize" can suggest hardship. It derives from the Greek oikonomia, meaning household management, combining oikos (house) with nomos (law or management), the same root that produced "economy," "economic," and "economical." Standard spellings include both "economize" (American) and "economise" (British). Related forms include "economizer," "economization," and the inflections "economized" and "economizing." The word remains firmly current in everyday and journalistic English.
verbTo spend less money or use fewer resources than before, especially by avoiding waste; also, more generally, to use something (such as time or energy) frugally and efficiently.
- (intransitive) To reduce spending or consumption of resources, especially in order to save money.
- (transitive) To use a resource such as time, energy, or effort sparingly or efficiently.
"After losing her job, she was forced to economize on everything from groceries to heating."
"With fuel prices rising, many households have had to economize by cutting back on travel."
"She economized her energy during the marathon, holding back until the final stretch."
The same Greek root that gave us 'economize' originally meant running a household — oikos (house) plus nomos (managing) — so every time you economize, you're literally practicing good housekeeping.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of economize
Economize entered English in the mid-17th century, formed from "economy," which traces back through Latin oeconomia to the Greek oikonomia, meaning household management — from oikos (house) and nomos (managing, distributing). Originally the verb could mean simply to manage or administer a household or estate; its modern sense of saving money and avoiding waste developed later and is now dominant. Its cognates include economy, economic, economist, and economical, all sharing the same Greek root, as well as related borrowings like ecology (from oikos alone), which likewise concerns the management of a shared home — in that case, the natural world.
Related word forms
How economize is actually used
"Economize" carries a neutral-to-positive connotation of prudence rather than hardship, though phrases like "forced to economize" can imply financial difficulty. In American English it is usually spelled with a "z"; British English accepts both "economize" and "economise." The verb is most commonly used intransitively with the preposition "on" (economize on food, on heating).
Easily confused with economize
Economics is the academic study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, whereas economize is a verb meaning to save money or avoid waste.
Economical is an adjective describing something that avoids waste or gives good value for money, while economize is the verb describing the act of saving.