Confusable pair · B2
Economic or economical?
Economic relates to the economy: economic growth, economic policy. Economical means it saves money or resources: an economical car, an economical use of space. The one-word test is whether you could substitute financial-and-national or cheap-to-run.
Which word, and why
- economic
to do with the economy
Relating to trade, industry and the management of money at scale.
economic growth · economic policy · economic crisis
- economical
saves money or resources
Using no more money, fuel or time than necessary.
an economical car · economical with fuel · an economical solution
Now use it
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Item 1 of 5
growth slowed to under one per cent last year.
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