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.
Hopefully, other economists will offer even more elegant targeting solutions. — Sarah Cannon, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026 For two centuries socialism—a term first used by the French political economist Pierre Leroux—has been both a critique of capitalism and an alternative to it. — Michael Kazin, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, the French economist Thomas Piketty showed how wealth perpetuates across generations and widens the divide between those who own capital and everyone else. — Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026 The bottom-barrel sentiment also reflects a buildup of workers having to endure six years filled with crises, including a global pandemic, Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor said at the time of the report’s release in late September. — Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 2026.

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