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"Economic" relates to the economy as a field; "economical" means saving money or resources efficiently.
Side-by-side comparison
"Economic" relates to the economy as a system or discipline: economic policies, economic crises, economic growth.
The country is facing a serious economic crisis.
The government announced new economic policies.
Economic growth has slowed down in recent years.
"Economical" means something or someone that uses little and does not waste. "An economical car" = a car that uses little fuel.
This car is very economical. It uses almost no gas.
Buying in bulk is more economical than buying small quantities.
She is very economical with her time and never wastes a minute.
Common mistake
- •"This is an economic way to travel" when meaning cheap or efficient is wrong: use "economical".
- •"Economic" does not mean "cheap"; it means "relating to the economy" (as in "economic policy" or "economic crisis").
Trick to remember it
- •"Economic" = belongs to the field of economics (policy, crisis, growth).
- •"Economical" = saves money or resources.
- •The "-al" suffix adds the practical quality of "saving or being efficient".
Quick rule
- •"Economic" = of the economy (as a discipline or policy).
- •"Economical" = saves money or resources (practical and efficient).
Did you know?
The confusion pattern between the plain adjective and the "-al" variant is one of the most productive in English: "historic / historical", "classic / classical", "electric / electrical", "magic / magical", "comic / comical". In some pairs the meaning difference is dramatic (economic/economical). In others, almost none exists (comic/comical are near-synonyms). There is no single rule, each pair must be learned individually.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The country is going through a difficult _____ period. Many people have lost their jobs.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
This car is very _____ . It uses very little petrol even on long trips.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One is an event that made history, the other simply belongs to the past.
'Sensible' means practical and reasonable; 'sensitive' means easily affected or hurt, in feelings or physically.
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
'Currently' means 'at the present time'; 'actually' means 'in reality', not 'nowadays'.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy