Collins English-English Dictionary

economy [ɪ'kɑnəmɪ]

1. 1. n careful management of resources to avoid unnecessary expenditure or waste; thrift

2. 2. n a means or instance of this; saving

3. 3. n sparing, restrained, or efficient use, esp to achieve the maximum effect for the minimum effort

   economy of language

4. 4. n the complex of human activities concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services

5. 5. n a particular type or branch of such production, distribution, and consumption

   a socialist economy

   an agricultural economy

6. 6. n the management of the resources, finances, income, and expenditure of a community, business enterprise, etc

7. 7. n a class of travel in aircraft, providing less luxurious accommodation than first class at a lower fare

8. 8. n (as modifier)

   economy class

9. 9. n [modifier] offering or purporting to offer a larger quantity for a lower price

   economy pack

10. 10. n the orderly interplay between the parts of a system or structure

    the economy of nature

11. 11. n [philosophy] the principle that, of two competing theories, the one with less ontological presupposition is to be preferred

12. 12. n [archaic] the management of household affairs; domestic economy

13. 13. n [Etymology] C16: via Latin from Greek oikonomia domestic management, from oikos house + -nomia, from nemein to manage