efficiently
Americanadverb
-
in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; capably or competently.
Getting this many people to pass information among themselves efficiently, let alone come up with a coherent plan that everybody understands, requires practice.
-
in a satisfactory and economical way.
The product they are donating will give our volunteers the proper materials to build our homes as efficiently as possible.
-
in a way that utilizes a particular resource with the least waste (usually used in combination).
The lighter your car is, the more fuel-efficiently it will drive.
Other Word Forms
- nonefficiently adverb
- quasi-efficiently adverb
- superefficiently adverb
Etymology
Origin of efficiently
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This strong slowing effect allows the structure to shrink dramatically while still trapping light efficiently, resulting in a layer more than a thousand times thinner than a human hair.
From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026
Adapting to these changes requires new thinking and new approaches, he said, including efforts to use water more efficiently, recycle more wastewater, capture more runoff to replenish groundwater, and change how reservoirs are operated.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026
“This disciplined focus on where we apply that compute allows us to grow, innovate faster, and deliver more efficiently to enterprises and developers,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Savings depend on energy prices and how efficiently the heat pump works.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
She spread the work fairly and managed the house as efficiently as Margaret had, but without much of the tension and strife Margaret generated.
From "Kindred" by Octavia Butler
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
