effectively
Americanadverb
-
in a way that accomplishes a purpose or produces the intended or expected results.
These scissors are no longer sharp and do not cut effectively.
You may not like all your coworkers, but you still have to learn to work effectively with them.
-
in actuality; in practice.
Allowing the legislature to take existing money for schools and use it for other purposes effectively means there will be no new money for education.
-
in a way that produces a vivid impression; strikingly.
The visually rich photographs are effectively displayed against the stark white gallery walls.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of effectively
Explanation
Effectively is an adverb with two meanings; use it if you want to describe something that's done in an effective manner or as a replacement for words like "actually" or "basically." If wearing special gloves helps you catch a football more effectively, then it helps you get the job done better and more efficiently. People usually want to do their jobs more effectively. But this word can also mean actually or basically. If your grandparents are raising you, they are effectively your parents, and you are effectively their children. Whether they're raising you effectively in the first sense is another matter.
Vocabulary lists containing effectively
Inside: Academic Vocabulary
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4.3: Origins and Impact of the Western European Empires in the North Atlantic (Sources 1–9)
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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.
Several European firms have seen their Russian operations effectively lost -- most recently Swiss food conglomerate Nestle and French supermarket giant Auchan.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
If Luna is able to effectively implement and enforce the new policy, Bonner said, “We’ll look back a few years from now and say, ‘There aren’t any deputy gangs anymore.’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have effectively policed shipping in the Red Sea using an often-overlooked application system for captains seeking transit clearances.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
"We need to respond effectively and we need to make our presence felt when it's required."
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
The patients at Carville are effectively prisoners—they aren’t allowed to leave without permission—but in some ways, Carville is more progressive than other southern communities.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
