adjective
- avoiding waste or extravagance; thrifty: an economical meal; an economical use of interior space.
- economic.
adjective
- using the minimum required; not wasteful of time, effort, resources, etcan economical car; an economical style
- frugal; thriftyshe was economical by nature
- a variant of economic (def. 1), economic (def. 2), economic (def. 3), economic (def. 4)
- euphemistic deliberately withholding information (esp in the phrase economical with the truth)
1570s, “pertaining to household management; from economic + -al (1). Meaning “pertaining to political economy” is from 1781; that of “thrifty” is from 1780. Related: Economically.