Sign In Get Started
Prepositions after adjectives

Using economical with and economical in

Economical commonly takes with when referring to resources being used carefully. Economical in is also possible when referring to behaviour or methods.

Quick answer

Economical with vs. economical in

Use economical with before resources such as money, fuel, or words. Use economical in before activities or methods to describe efficiency or restraint in the way something is done.

She is economical with money.
The engine is economical with fuel.
They were economical in their spending.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
economical with + resource

Using resources carefully

Use economical with before money, fuel, time, and similar resources.

He is economical with water.
The company became economical with office space.
2
economical in + activity

Showing efficiency in actions or methods

Use economical in before spending, design, language, or another activity.

The team was economical in its use of materials.
She is economical in her writing.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
economical with
The family is economical with electricity.
Careful not to waste a resource.
economical in
The designer was economical in her use of colour.
Efficient or restrained in a method or activity.
economical with words
He is economical with words.
Uses few words; often reserved or concise.
economical in spending
They are economical in spending.
Careful and restrained in the activity of spending.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using economical to describe low price

Economical means not wasteful, not cheap in price.

✕ This economical hotel costs very little. ✓ This inexpensive hotel costs very little.

Using economical with before actions

With is usually followed by resources, not activities.

✕ She is economical with spending. ✓ She is economical in her spending.

Confusing economical and economic

Economic relates to the economy or finance in general.

✕ The country faces economical problems. ✓ The country faces economic problems.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The car is economical ___ fuel.
2. She is economical ___ her use of paper.
3. He is economical ___ words.

Check your sentence in context

Paste the complete sentence below. Linguix checks the preposition together with grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style.

Free to try · No signup required

Frequently asked questions

What does economical with mean?

It means careful not to waste a resource such as money, fuel, or time.

Can I use economical in?

Yes. It is used for efficient or restrained behaviour in an activity or method.

Is economical the same as cheap?

No. Economical means efficient or not wasteful, while cheap usually refers to low cost.

eager-for-to-in-about, on "early in", "early on" or "early for"? earnest in, with, on, for or at? easy for, on, in, to or with? "ecstatic about" or "ecstatic with"? "effective in", "effective at" or "effective for"? "efficient in" or "efficient at"? elderly in, with, at, of or as? elegant in, with, of, as or to? eligible for, to, in or under? "embarrassed by" or "embarrassed about"? "embarrassing for" or "embarrassing to"?

Write with confidence in Linguix

Create a free account to check complete texts, apply suggestions, and save your documents.

Create a free account