efficient
Americanadjective
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performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable.
a reliable, efficient assistant.
- Synonyms:
- effectual
-
satisfactory and economical to use.
Our new air conditioner is more efficient than our old one.
-
producing an effect, as a cause; causative.
-
utilizing a particular commodity or product with the least waste of resources or effort (usually used in combination).
a fuel-efficient engine.
adjective
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functioning or producing effectively and with the least waste of effort; competent
-
philosophy producing a direct effect; causative
Usage
What are other ways to say efficient? A person or a thing that is efficient performs or functions in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort. But efficient isn’t quite the same as effectual, efficacious, or effective! Find out why on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- efficiently adverb
- nonefficient adjective
- quasi-efficient adjective
- superefficient adjective
- unefficient adjective
Etymology
Origin of efficient
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin efficient- (stem of efficiēns ), equivalent to ef- ef- + fic-, combining form of facere “to make, do 1 ” + -ent- -ent
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.
As countries expand renewable energy production, the need for dependable and efficient battery storage continues to grow.
From Science Daily
Breuer was part of a generation of officers whose mission was often to make do with less, focusing on “downsizing and making things more efficient,” he says, “not more effective.”
They saw Ayton at his efficient best, shooting three for five from the field for seven points to go along with eight rebounds and three assists.
From Los Angeles Times
But largely the story is that it’s a concentrated industry and finally can be more efficient and grow profits.
From Barron's
Last year the company outlined plans to become more efficient through a series of measures that include job cuts and shifting some production from its German home to lower-cost countries such as Hungary.
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.
