agrarian economy

Meanings

1. 1nouncountabletechnical

   An economic system in which farming and the production of crops are the main source of wealth and employment.

   Grammar: Countable: an agrarian economy, the agrarian economies of Asia. Often used with 'a' or 'the'.

   Patterns

   • an agrarian economy
   • the agrarian economy of a country
   • a largely agrarian economy
   • transition from an agrarian economy

   Before the Industrial Revolution, Britain had a largely agrarian economy.

   Many developing countries still rely on an agrarian economy for jobs and income.

   The government is trying to diversify the agrarian economy by promoting manufacturing.

2. 2nounsingulartechnical

   The part of a country's economy that deals with agriculture, considered as a sector.

   Grammar: Usually singular with 'the': the agrarian economy grew by 3% last year.

   Patterns

   • the agrarian economy
   • growth in the agrarian economy

   The agrarian economy expanded slightly despite poor weather.

   Investment in the agrarian economy has increased over the past decade.

Common combinations

largely agrarian economy

The country remained a largely agrarian economy until the 1950s.

transition from an agrarian economy

The transition from an agrarian economy to an industrial one took many decades.

diversify the agrarian economy

Officials want to diversify the agrarian economy into tourism and technology.

agrarian economy based on

It was an agrarian economy based on rice and wheat.

Synonyms and how they differ

agricultural economy

Very similar, but 'agricultural economy' is more neutral and common in modern texts; 'agrarian' often implies a traditional or historical context.

farming economy

Less formal and less common; 'agrarian economy' is the standard term in academic writing.

rural economy

Broader: it includes all economic activity in rural areas, not just farming.

Opposites

Word family

agrarian adjective

Relating to land, farming, or rural life.

agrarianism noun

A political or social philosophy that values farming and rural life.

Commonly confused: agrarian economy or agricultural?

Practice

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