economici

Economico is an Italian adjective with two main senses. It can mean related to the economy or to economics, as in politica economica (economic policy), situazione economica (economic situation), or settore economico (economic sector). It can also mean inexpensive or affordable, as in un prodotto economico (a budget-friendly product) or un prezzo economico (an economical price). The form economici is the masculine plural, while economiche is the feminine plural; the word agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (adjective endings for Italian).

Etymology traces economically to Latin oeconomia, from Greek oikonomía, meaning the management of a household, later extended to the management of a state’s resources. The Italian term economia (economy, economics) entered from this lineage, and economico is formed with the common suffix -ico to describe attributes or relations to the field of economy.

In usage, economico appears across academic, policy, business, and everyday language. It distinguishes between the academic or policy sense (costi economici, indicatori economici, teoria economica) and the consumer sense (prodotti economici, opzioni economiche). Context determines whether it signals monetary efficiency, affordability, or broader economic relevance. Related terms include economia (economy/economics), economista (economist), and politiche economiche (economic policies).