Definition

Adjective: 1. Not economical; wasteful of resources: Describes something that does not use money, materials, energy, or other resources in a careful or efficient way, resulting in unnecessary cost or waste. 2. Inefficient in use of time and effort and materials: Describes a process, method, or activity that requires more inputs (time, labor, materials) than necessary to achieve a result, representing poor value or poor management.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Heating the entire warehouse for one small office is uneconomical. (This shows waste of energy/money.)
  • The old manufacturing method was slow and uneconomical. (This shows inefficiency in process and materials.)
  • It is uneconomical to repair such an old car. (This shows poor value for the money spent.)

Advanced Usage

• Comparative and Superlative Forms: "more uneconomical," "most uneconomical." These forms are used for comparison.
  • Driving alone is more uneconomical than using public transport.
• Adverb Form: "uneconomically." This form describes how an action is performed.
  • The factory was run uneconomically for years before it closed.

Variants and Related Words

• Uneconomic (adj): Often used interchangeably with "uneconomical," especially in formal or business contexts to mean "not profitable" or "not making economic sense."
  • Continuing production at the current level is uneconomic.
• Economical (adj): The direct antonym, meaning efficient or careful in the use of resources.
• Thrifty (adj): Similar to economical, but often implies careful management to avoid waste, especially with money.

Synonyms

• Wasteful: Using more than is needed; extravagant.
• Inefficient: Not achieving maximum productivity; wasting time or resources.
• Extravagant: Lacking restraint in spending money or using resources.
• Cost-ineffective: Not providing good value for the money spent.

Antonyms

• Economical
• Efficient
• Thrifty
• Cost-effective

Related Phrases and Concepts

• False economy: An action that saves money initially but leads to greater costs in the long run, making it ultimately uneconomical.
  • Buying the cheapest tools is often a false economy; they break quickly and need replacing.
• Economies of scale: The cost advantage that arises with increased output. The opposite situation (higher cost per unit at low output) can be described as diseconomies of scale or an uneconomical scale of production.

Adjective

1. wasteful of resources
2. inefficient in use of time and effort and materials
   • a clumsy and wasteful process
   • wasteful duplication of effort
   • uneconomical ebb and flow of power