the economy of nature

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Hie laws of nature, whereby the greatest amount of good is obtained^ or the laws by which the affairs of nature are regulated and disposed; the system and interior management of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, etc.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “the economy of nature” mean?

Hie laws of nature, whereby the greatest amount of good is obtained^ or the laws by which the affairs of nature are regulated and disposed; the system and interior management of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, etc.

Is “the economy of nature” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.