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.
That way, when the heirs inherit the highly appreciated stock, the cost basis will get reset to the current market value, effectively wiping out any capital-gains tax obligation on the assets up to that point.
From Barron's • May 16, 2026
Das helped develop a statement from the American Psychiatric Association opposing cannabis as a psychiatric treatment because there is currently no evidence showing it effectively treats psychiatric disorders.
From Science Daily • May 15, 2026
The 10-year bond yield - effectively the interest rate charged to the UK government for a 10-year loan - rose above 5.14% at one point on Friday, the highest for 18 years.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
As a result, they effectively have short positions in the commodities needed to develop their expansion, Currie said.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
The market, and the rating agencies, effectively had set the odds of default at 1 in 200.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
