effect
Americannoun
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effects
plural
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something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence.
Exposure to the sun had the effect of toughening his skin.
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power to produce results; efficacy; force; influence.
His protest had no effect.
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the state of being operative or functional; operation or execution; accomplishment or fulfillment.
to bring a plan into effect.
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a mental or emotional impression produced, as by a painting or a speech.
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meaning or sense; purpose or intention.
She disapproved of the proposal and wrote to that effect.
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the making of a desired impression.
We had the feeling that the big, expensive car was only for effect.
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an illusory phenomenon.
a three-dimensional effect.
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a real phenomenon (usually named for its discoverer).
the Doppler effect.
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Usually effects a special effect, practical effect, or visual effect in a movie, TV show, or other video. FX
verb (used with object)
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effects,
present (3rd person singular)
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effected,
past participle, past
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effecting
present participle
idioms
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take effect,
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to go into operation; begin to function.
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to produce a result.
The prescribed medicine failed to take effect.
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in effect,
noun
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something that is produced by a cause or agent; result
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power or ability to influence or produce a result; efficacy
with no effect
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the condition of being operative (esp in the phrases in or into effect )
the law comes into effect at midnight
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to become operative or begin to produce results
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basic meaning or purpose (esp in the phrase to that effect )
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an impression, usually one that is artificial or contrived (esp in the phrase for effect )
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a scientific phenomenon
the Doppler effect
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in fact; actually
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for all practical purposes
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the overall impression or result
the effect of a painting
verb
Usage
What's the difference between effect and affect? Effect is most commonly used as a noun meaning a result or consequence. Affect is most commonly used as a verb meaning to act on or produce a change in someone or something. Remembering the difference between the words can be especially hard because these senses of the words have just about the same pronunciation. Complicating things further is the fact that effect can also be used as a verb (meaning to make happen, as in We can only effect change by taking action) and affect can also be used as a noun (referring to a state of emotion, as in He had a sad affect). However, these senses of the words are much less commonly used. You can remember that affect is most commonly used as a verb because it begins with a, for action. You can also remember how effect and affect are most commonly used by using the acronym RAVEN:R = RememberA = Affect isV = VerbE = Effect is aN = NounHere’s an example of effect and affect used correctly in the same sentence. Example: It’s unclear what immediate effects the new law will have or how it will affect future generations. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between effect and affect.
Commonly Confused
See affect 1.
Synonym Usage
Effect, consequence(s), result refer to something produced by an action or a cause. An effect is that which is produced, usually more or less immediately and directly: The effect of morphine is to produce sleep. A consequence, something that follows naturally or logically, as in a train of events or sequence of time, is less intimately connected with its cause than is an effect: Punishment is the consequence of disobedience. A result may be near or remote, and often is the sum of effects or consequences as making an end or final outcome: The English language is the result of the fusion of many different elements.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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effecternoun
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preeffectnoun
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effectibleadjective
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uneffectedadjective
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uneffectibleadjective
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well-effectedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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effectsimple
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effectssimple
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have effectedperfect
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has effectedperfect
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am effectingprogressive
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are effectingprogressive
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is effectingprogressive
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have been effectingperfect progressive
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has been effectingperfect progressive
Past
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effectedsimple
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had effectedperfect
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was effectingprogressive
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were effectingprogressive
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had been effectingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of effect
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin effectus “the carrying out (of a task, etc.),” hence, “accomplishment, outcome,” equivalent to effec- (variant stem of efficere “to make, carry out”; ef- combining form meaning “out, out from, beyond” + -ficere combining form of the verb facere “do, make”) + -tus suffix of verbal action; cf. ef-, do 1
Explanation
Effect is the result of an action, as in those “cause and effect” papers you might write in English class. Your topic could be how your late-night tuba playing (cause) has driven your roommate insane (effect). Another noun use of effect describes an appearance or impression that’s created on purpose, such as the dramatic effect of the bright red walls in your kitchen, or sound effects from your favorite movie. Effect appears less often as a verb, but when it does, it means “produce.” Usually, it’s a noun. It can even refer to your belongings, like when you get kicked out and your former roomie begs you to get all of your personal effects.
Vocabulary lists containing effect
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Academic Vocabulary: Core Tier 2 Words, List 1
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TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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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.
See Examples For:
The researchers conducted a series of control experiments to determine whether the effect could be explained by more conventional changes to the material.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
Jeffery Roach, chief economist at LPL Financial, added that the data showed tension between “goods producing sectors that support the AI boom” and service industries feeling the effect of changes brought about by the tech.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
That so-called lock-in effect is finally easing as more people put their houses on the market.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
An extreme heat advisory is in effect for many areas from 10 a.m.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Incredibly, he doesn’t see what effect his words have had.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
It's caused by "side effects of how electric cars are engineered," it adds.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
The results allowed them to rule out explanations involving strain, material degradation, inhomogeneity, and metallic screening effects.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
Many unusual quantum effects only survive at temperatures close to absolute zero.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Their talking points can have powerful ripple effects for their followings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Twig gladly abandoned her original question—something with food coloring and placebo effects.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
If the civil-rights revolution was primarily effected by patient application of the laws, “By Any Means” suggests some of its reforms came about via the impatient application of fists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Later on Wednesday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the president will raise the global tariff to 15% in the coming days "where appropriate" but did not name which countries would be effected.
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026
The spokesperson urged all those effected by Hurricane Helene to apply for assistance.
From Salon ● Oct. 1, 2024
In the end, Musk dictated the Grant’s terms, and the committee effected those wishes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2024
Children can feel, but they cannot analyse their feelings; and if the analysis is partially effected in thought, they know not how to express the result of the process in words.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Working with the Rock Liberation Front offers the only clear means for effecting change.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2025
Buchan has not just achieved a clean-up in his own back yard - he is effecting change across great swathes of an enormous country.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024
Toranaga names Blackthorne hatamoto, an honorific indicating high status earned through his courage in effecting Toranaga’s escape.
From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
You see, with every other officer excluded under the provision, the state official or state court effecting that exclusion would feel the political costs of their decision alone.
From Slate ● Dec. 20, 2023
Why, as a general thing, do we only succeed in effecting that which is mechanically impossible?
From Mysterious Psychic Forces An Account of the Author's Investigations in Psychical Research, Together with Those of Other European Savants by Camille Flammarion
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.
