ineconomy

English

WOTD – 1 December 2021

Etymology

From in- (prefix meaning ‘lacking, without’) +‎ economy.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɪniːˈkɒnəmi/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɪnəˈkɑnəmi/
• Rhymes: -ɒnəmi
• Hyphenation: in‧e‧con‧omy

Noun

ineconomy (countable and uncountable, plural ineconomies)

1. Lack of economy; waste (of resources, etc.). [from late 19th c.]

   Synonym: uneconomicalness

   Antonyms: economy, frugality

   • 1894 September 21, E. Tremlett Carter, “Motive Power and Gearing”, in The Electrician: A Weekly Illustrated Journal of Electrical Engineering, Industry and Science, volume XXXIII, number 853, London: […] George Tucker, […], →OCLC, page 593, column 2:

     The sources of ineconomy in steam engines may broadly be classed under the two heads: failure to obtain indicated work from the energy of the steam, and dissipation of the indicated work in overcoming engine friction.

   • 1938, Xavier Herbert, “Heir to All the Ages”, in Capricornia […], New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton-Century Co., published 1943, →OCLC, page 69:

     [T]he mouth of the salt-water creek was usually surging like a mill-race, but wasting its power—or so it had been—on transporting such things as jellyfish, leaves, and crocodiles. This waste had been the cause of great irritation to Mark, who, though careless of most forms of ineconomy, could not bear to see the wasting of natural force.

Related terms

• ineconomic
• noneconomic
• noneconomical
• uneconomic
• uneconomical
• uneconomically
• uneconomicalness

 

Translations

lack of economy

Further reading

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “ineconomy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.