using the minimum of time or resources necessary for effectiveness; "an economic use of home heating oil"; "a modern economical heating system"; "an economical use of her time"
financially rewarding; "it was no longer economic to keep the factory open"; "have to keep prices high enough to make it economic to continue the service"
concerned with worldly necessities of life (especially money); "he wrote the book primarily for economic reasons"; "gave up the large house for economic reasons"; "in economic terms they are very privileged"
of or relating to the science of economics; "economic theory"
of or relating to an economy, the system of production and management of material wealth; "economic growth"; "aspects of social, political, and economical life"
avoiding waste; "an economical meal"; "an economical shopper"; "a frugal farmer"; "a frugal lunch"; "a sparing father and a spending son"; "sparing in their use of heat and light"; "stinting in bestowing gifts"; "thrifty because they remember the great Depression"; "`scotch' is used only informally"
the unauthorized interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it (as by helping one party with money or otherwise to continue the action) so as to obstruct justice or promote unnecessary litigation or unsettle the peace of the community; "unlike champerty, criminal maintenance does not necessarily involve personal profit"