English Reference
noun

economist

n.
US /iˈkɑnəmɪst/ UK /ɪkˈɒnəmˌɪst/ econ·o·mist UK spelling economist's, economist's

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    an expert who studies how money, trade, and resources work in a country or industry.

    a professional who studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, often advising on policy or market trends.

    Simple

    The government hired a famous economist to help fix the country's money problems.

    In context

    Leading economists are currently debating whether the central bank's decision to raise interest rates will effectively curb inflation without triggering a recession.

    analystfinancial expert
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Archaic

    someone who is very careful with money and avoids wasting it.

    a person who manages resources, money, or time with extreme frugality and efficiency.

    Simple

    In the old story, the main character was a strict economist who never spent a penny on toys.

    In context

    The Victorian novelist depicted the protagonist as a grim economist of his own time, accounting for every second spent away from his ledgers.

    Usage

    In modern English, this sense is almost entirely replaced by 'frugal person' or 'saver'.

    misersaver
    spendthriftwastrel

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial, said inflation is on a “real decelerating course", noting that July’s drop in energy prices “helped soften the inflation pressures of the month".

BBC News· 12 Aug 2026

Economists are expecting growth of 0.4% for the three months.

BBC News· 12 Aug 2026

From Middle French économiste (“household manager”). By surface analysis, economy + -ist.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin frm économiste
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated