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Effect Vs. Affect
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British
Idioms And Phrases

effect

[ ih-fekt ]

/ ɪˈfɛkt /

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See synonyms for: effect / effected / effecting / effects on Thesaurus.com

noun

something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence: Exposure to the sun had the effect of toughening his skin.

power to produce results; efficacy; force; influence: His protest had no effect.

the state of being operative or functional; operation or execution; accomplishment or fulfillment: to bring a plan into effect.

a mental or emotional impression produced, as by a painting or a speech.

meaning or sense; purpose or intention: She disapproved of the proposal and wrote to that effect.

the making of a desired impression: We had the feeling that the big, expensive car was only for effect.

an illusory phenomenon: a three-dimensional effect.

a real phenomenon (usually named for its discoverer): the Doppler effect.

Usually effects . a special effect, practical effect, or visual effect in a movie, TV show, or other video. Abbreviation: FX

verb (used with object)

to produce as an effect; bring about; make happen; accomplish: The new machines finally effected the transition to computerized accounting last spring.

OTHER WORDS FOR effect

1 outcome, issue.

10 achieve, realize, fulfill, perform, consummate.

See synonyms for effect on Thesaurus.com

VIDEO FOR EFFECT

How To Use "Affect" vs. "Effect"

Effect and affect: can you keep these two words straight? We can't either which is why we are giving you some examples to learn the difference between the two!

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QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about effect

in effect,

for practical purposes; virtually: His silence was in effect a confirmation of the rumor.
essentially; basically.
operating or functioning; in force: The plan is now in effect.

take effect,

to go into operation; begin to function.
to produce a result: The prescribed medicine failed to take effect.

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-, do¹

synonym study for effect

1. 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.

words often confused with effect

See affect¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM effect

ef·fect·i·ble, adjectivepre·ef·fect, noun, verb (used with object)un·ef·fect·ed, adjectiveun·ef·fect·i·ble, adjective

well-ef·fect·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH effect

affect, effect (see confusables note at affect¹)

Words nearby effect

efavirenz, eff, effable, efface, effacement, effect, effective, effective current, effective dose, effectively, effectiveness

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

EFFECT VS. AFFECT

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 = Remember
A = Affect is
V = Verb
E = Effect is a
N = Noun

Here’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.

Quiz yourself on effect vs. affect!

Should effect or affect be used in the following sentence?

The campaign is hoping that the ads have a big _____ on voter turnout.

How to use effect in a sentence

Bells had no discernible effect, while cats fitted with Birdsbesafe collars brought home 42 percent fewer birds, but roughly the same number of mammals, which aligns with previous research.
Meatier meals and more playtime might reduce cats’ toll on wildlife|Jonathan Lambert|February 11, 2021|Science News
At the peak of the crisis in April, that’s when we found the greatest effect of social capital on the virus.
Researchers identify social factors inoculating some communities against coronavirus|Christopher Ingraham|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The AI Video Interview Act in Illinois, which went into effect in January 2020, requires companies to tell candidates when they use AI in video interviews.
Auditors are testing hiring algorithms for bias, but there’s no easy fix|Amy Nordrum|February 11, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Framing it like this is obviously and immediately political, of course, but we do so to present evidence that the polarization of the virus has itself potentially contributed to its effects.
What you’re saying when you say that covering the coronavirus is partisan|Philip Bump|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

The owners can put the 17-game season into effect at any point over the next few years, with an accompanying reduction in preseason games.
NFL begins an uncertain offseason, with questions about vaccines, the salary cap and more|Mark Maske|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
In Israel, however, a new law took effect January 1st that banned the use of underweight models.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But they say its effect on the regular daily operation of organized crime has been negligible.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All of these increased barriers then have a snowball effect.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So now the company is asking the FCC to, in effect, reverse itself.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A revised version of the law goes into effect on January 1st, 2015.
Propaganda, Protest, and Poisonous Vipers: The Cinema War in Korea|Rich Goldstein|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this case, I suspect, there was co-operant a strongly marked childish characteristic, the love of producing an effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
He shrank, as from some one who inflicted pain as a child, unwittingly, to see what the effect would be.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
And so this is why the clever performer cannot reproduce the effect of a speech of Demosthenes or Daniel Webster.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
The well-known "cock and bull" stories of small children are inspired by this love of strong effect.
Children's Ways|James Sully
She stabbed him, noting the effect upon him with a detached interest that seemed indifferent to his pain.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

British Dictionary definitions for effect

effect

/ (ɪˈfɛkt) /

noun

something that is produced by a cause or agent; result

power or ability to influence or produce a result; efficacywith no effect

the condition of being operative (esp in the phrases in or into effect)the law comes into effect at midnight

take effect to become operative or begin to produce results

basic meaning or purpose (esp in the phrase to that effect)

an impression, usually one that is artificial or contrived (esp in the phrase for effect)

a scientific phenomenonthe Doppler effect

in effect

in fact; actually
for all practical purposes

the overall impression or resultthe effect of a painting

verb

(tr) to cause to occur; bring about; accomplish

See also effects

Derived forms of effect

effecter, nouneffectible, adjective

Word Origin for effect

C14: from Latin effectus a performing, tendency, from efficere to accomplish, from facere to do

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with effect

effect

see in effect; into effect; take effect; to that effect.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.