economist

noun

econ·​o·​mist i-ˈkä-nə-mist How to pronounce economist (audio)
1
archaic : one who practices economy
2
: a specialist in economics

Examples of economist in a Sentence

Economists are predicting rapid inflation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Daron Acemoglu is an economist and an institute professor at MIT. — Big Think, 3 Sep. 2026 Last year, state economists put the household number closer to $100 — ranging from $57 to $190 — and suggested after the initial rollout, people would actually save money. — Susanne Rust follow, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026 However, economists who talked to the AJC didn’t mince words about the reliability of such research. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Extra principal payments could make a lot more financial sense for the one-fifth of current mortgage holders with interest rates over 6%, said Kara Ng, senior economist on Zillow’s Economic Research team. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for economist

Word History

Etymology

Middle French oeconome, iconome "manager of a household" (borrowed from Medieval Latin oeconomus, going back to Late Latin, "administrator, manager," borrowed from Greek oikonómos "manager of a household, steward") + -ist entry 1 — more at economy entry 1

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of economist was in 1586

Rhymes for economist

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Browse Nearby Words

economism
economist
Economite
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Cite this Entry

“Economist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/economist. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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