effective
Americanadjective
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adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result.
effective teaching methods; effective steps toward peace.
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actually in operation or in force; functioning.
The law becomes effective at midnight.
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producing a deep or vivid impression; striking.
an effective photograph.
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prepared and available for service, especially military service.
noun
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a member of the armed forces fit for duty or active service.
-
the effective total of a military force.
adjective
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productive of or capable of producing a result
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in effect; operative
effective from midnight
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producing a striking impression; impressive
an effective entrance
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(prenominal) actual rather than theoretical; real
the effective income after deductions
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(of a military force, etc) equipped and prepared for action
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physics (of an alternating quantity) having a value that is the square root of the mean of the squares of the magnitude measured at each instant over a defined period of time, usually one cycle See also root mean square
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say effective? The adjective effective describes things that are adequate to accomplish a purpose, or that produce the intended or expected result. But effective isn’t quite the same as effectual, efficacious, or efficient! Find out why on Thesaurus.com.
Related Words
operative. telling.
Other Word Forms
- effectively adverb
- effectiveness noun
- effectivity noun
- preeffective adjective
- quasi-effective adjective
- subeffective adjective
- supereffective adjective
- uneffective adjective
Etymology
Origin of effective
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English from Latin effectīvus “practical,” equivalent to effect(us), past participle of efficere ( effect ) + -īvus adjective suffix ( -ive )
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.
The toy maker said this week that shoppers were willing to swallow higher prices External link, meaning it could pass on an effective 24% tariff cost to consumers.
From Barron's
As a victim of increasingly effective gunnery, Arundel also epitomized another development that would expedite the end of England’s sporadic efforts to subdue the rival realm.
Vaccines against Covid-19 are considered safe and effective by global health authorities, and protect against the most severe forms of the infection.
From Barron's
But administration officials told the company in December of a new, later effective date for the policy, leading to fewer gains from the credits than anticipated.
From BBC
“Why would you do something that’s marginally less effective and not actually that much easier?”
From MarketWatch
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.
