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

At the stadium itself, parking is expected to be significantly reduced or repurposed, with traditional tailgating effectively eliminated.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

“Once you increase your withdrawals, it’s effectively permanent. You’re unlikely to decrease them,” Bengen tells Barron’s.

From Barron's • Apr. 19, 2026

Reisz said there are efforts to get pro bono law groups trained on how to effectively argue habeas cases, “but it takes a while to get up to speed.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

By helping ants learn bait locations more quickly and recruit more nestmates, caffeine could increase how effectively poison spreads through a colony before the ants detect it.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

At one point, his calculations were effectively held up for a year while he waited for the university to provide him with a simple adding machine.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

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