économique

Économique is a French adjective with two principal senses. In its primary use, it refers to the economy or to the science of economics, as in économie politique, croissance économique, or sciences économiques. In a secondary sense, it describes something that is cost-efficient or economical, meaning it provides good value for money or uses resources efficiently. Context usually clarifies which sense is intended.

Etymology: the term derives from Latin oeconomicus, via Old French ekonomique, from Greek oikonomikos “household management,” from oikos “house” and nomos “arrangement” or “law.” The noun économie denotes the economy, while économie politique is the historical term for political economy; sciences économiques is the field of economic science.

Usage and nuance: common collocations include économie politique, économie mondiale, système économique, and croissance économique. In consumer language, un appareil économique or une voiture économique can indicate cost-efficiency or affordability, depending on context and qualifiers such as “à bas coût” or “énergie” efficiency.

Related terms: related words include économiste (economist), économiser (to economize or save), and économie (the economy). In English-language texts, économique generally corresponds to economic or economical, with the latter usually implying thrift or cost-saving.