effects
Americanplural noun
plural noun
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Also called: personal effects. personal property or belongings
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lighting, sounds, etc, to accompany and enhance a stage, film, or broadcast production
Related Words
See property.
Etymology
Origin of effects
Plural of effect
Explanation
Effects are portable personal property not used for business. We most often hear this word in reference to one's "personal effects." The noun effects was first used in 1704 to mean "goods and property." It's your personal stuff, like keys, fine china collection, watch, car, or earrings. "Personal effects" is a phrase often associated with a last will and testament, when someone bequeaths certain items (or items in general) to someone else, but it can also refer to the belongings you remove from your pockets and fork over when you go to jail (which you'll then get back when you leave).
Vocabulary lists containing effects
The Bill of Rights
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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Girl in the Blue Coat
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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.
So far, the revelations about Chopra’s friendship with Epstein have had limited effects in the real world.
From Salon • May 19, 2026
The effects of the new law have not been as dramatic as homesellers like you had hoped.
From MarketWatch • May 19, 2026
Scientists have confirmed effects like this using highly precise devices such as aluminum-ion clocks at NIST.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
The disruption to trade in the Gulf and its global effects are a reminder of the economic calamity that would likely erupt from war in the Taiwan Strait.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
Were the effects of the sweetgrass braid wearing off?
From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young
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.
