economise

IPA/iˈkɒn.ə.maɪz/
IPA/iˈkɑː.nə.maɪz/

economise — verb

  • economisepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • economises3rd person singular
  • economising-ing form
  • economisedpast simple

1. to spend or use less than before so you avoid waste and keep more money or resou

1.verbintransitiveB2
Definition

to spend or use less than before so you avoid waste and keep more money or resources

Example

Heather began to economise on coffee by taking a flask to work.

economise on + regular expense

The theatre economised during winter by closing the back three rows.

economise by + -ing

Common collocations
  • economise on coffee
  • economise on paper
  • economise by sharing costs
  • economise during winter
Synonyms
  • save

    broader and more common; it can also mean keeping money or resources for later

  • cut back

    stresses reducing an amount, often because prices have risen or money is tight

  • be thrifty

    describes a person's usual habit, not one specific practical step

Antonyms
  • splurge

    to spend freely on something enjoyable or unnecessary

  • waste

    to use money or resources carelessly so some of them are lost

Grammar Patterns

economise on + [expense or resource]

economise by + [method]

Usage Note

Usually followed by 'on' before the cost or resource being reduced, or by 'by' before the method. This spelling is more common in British English; American English usually writes economize.

Common Mistakes

The cafe economised the coffee budget.
The cafe economised on coffee costs.
The verb usually takes 'on' before the expense or resource rather than a direct object.
We economised to buy cheaper tickets.
We economised by buying cheaper tickets.
Use 'by' before the action that helps you spend or use less.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Economise, save, cut back, be thrifty, and skimp all involve using less, but they point to different ideas. Economise is about taking practical steps so less money or fewer resources are used, often with patterns like 'economise on' or 'economise by'. Save is wider and more everyday: you can save money, time, or electricity, and you can save something for later. Cut back emphasizes reducing an amount because costs are high or a budget is tight. Be thrifty describes someone's general habit of being careful with money. Skimp is more negative, suggesting that someone reduces spending so much that quality may suffer. A family may economise by cooking at home, cut back on holidays, save for school fees, and still avoid skimping on winter coats.

save ↗cut back ↗be thriftyskimp ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • economise on coffee
  • economise on paper
  • economise by sharing costs

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Economise was formed in English from economy with the verb ending -ise. Economy came through French and Latin from Greek oikonomia, a word about managing a household. From that idea of careful household management, the verb developed the modern sense of spending or using less so nothing important is wasted.