effectiveness
Americannoun
-
the quality of producing an intended or desired result.
For maximum effectiveness of your weight loss plan, you need to combine exercise with a healthy diet.
-
the quality of producing a deep or vivid impression.
We were struck by the evident appeal and effectiveness of these short, dramatic, upbeat video stories.
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a measure of the success of a vaccine or other pharmaceutical when used in the real world, as opposed to the controlled environment of a clinical trial.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of effectiveness
First recorded in 1600–10; effective ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing effectiveness
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Media Literacy - High School
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Media Literacy - Middle School
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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.
But despite its effectiveness in eliminating polio, the live virus occasionally mutated back into its pathogenic form, resulting in rare cases of vaccine-related polio—something that Sabin refused to acknowledge.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
Previous reviews have already raised questions about the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D supplements.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
"It was always made explicit in the deal that the terms of the deal would expire… The sunset clauses in effect nullify their effectiveness," he argues.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2026
To address this issue, Mody trains APCs in paracervical blocks and is currently conducting three studies to further evaluate the procedure’s effectiveness.
From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026
My solar cells have been slowly losing effectiveness for several sols.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
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.
