effectively

American  

[ih-fek-tiv-lee, ee-fek‐] / ɪˈfɛk tɪv li, iˈfɛk‐ /

adverb

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. in a way that produces a vivid impression; strikingly.

   The visually rich photographs are effectively displayed against the stark white gallery walls.

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Other Word Forms

• preeffectively
  adverb
• quasi-effectively
  adverb
• subeffectively
  adverb
• supereffectively
  adverb
• uneffectively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of effectively

effective ( def. ) + -ly

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.

Example Sentences

A pipeline from the oilfields of Abu Dhabi runs to Fujairah, allowing limited amounts of crude to be loaded on to tankers and shipped to world markets despite the strait being effectively blockaded.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed—and at least 12 million b/d shut in—it was a relatively painless time to make a move that would normally have been bearish for oil prices.

From Barron's • May 4, 2026

The so-called six-figure limit would place a $100,000 cap on the total benefit that a couple retiring at the normal retirement age — effectively the same thing as FRA — can receive.

From MarketWatch • May 4, 2026

However, as the arrears accrue no interest, the home owner effectively got a $96,000 interest-free loan for the lifetime of the mortgage.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

Before long, the dogwood, like the American chestnut and American elm, will effectively cease to exist.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• adequately
• completely
• definitely
• dramatically
• energetically
• finally
• forcefully
• productively