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.
a modern economical heating system
an economical use of her time
aspects of social, political, and economical life
an economical shopper
an economical meal
ecologist
ecology
e-commerce
econometric
economic
economical
economics
economise
economist
economize
economy
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