uneconomic
Meaning
not making a profit or not using resources in a way that makes a profit.
not relating to or based on economics.
Structure
Usage
the government decided to close the uneconomic coal mine.
it would be uneconomic to produce such a small batch of the product.
his argument was based more on political than uneconomic grounds.
Etymology
The word 'uneconomic' is a Modern English formation built upon the established adjective 'economic'. The prefix 'un-', with its roots in Old English and ultimately Proto-Germanic, is a highly productive negator. It is attached to 'economic', a term which entered English via Latin from the Greek oikonomikos, originally pertaining to the prudent management of a household (oikos). Therefore, the literal construction 'not economic' directly leads to its modern meanings: first, describing an activity that is not profitable or efficient, extending the household management concept to broader commerce; and second, simply denoting something not connected to the science of economics.
Analysis
- un: a prefix of germanic origin, used to form words expressing a negative, reversal, or lack. - economic: from latin oeconomicus, from greek oikonomikos ('relating to household management'), from oikonomos ('household manager'), from oikos ('house') + nomos ('law, managing').