effects
Americanplural noun
plural noun
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Also called: personal effects. personal property or belongings
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lighting, sounds, etc, to accompany and enhance a stage, film, or broadcast production
Synonym Usage
See property.
Etymology
Origin of effects
Plural of effect
Explanation
Effects are portable personal property not used for business. We most often hear this word in reference to one's "personal effects." The noun effects was first used in 1704 to mean "goods and property." It's your personal stuff, like keys, fine china collection, watch, car, or earrings. "Personal effects" is a phrase often associated with a last will and testament, when someone bequeaths certain items (or items in general) to someone else, but it can also refer to the belongings you remove from your pockets and fork over when you go to jail (which you'll then get back when you leave).
Vocabulary lists containing effects
The Bill of Rights
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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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Girl in the Blue Coat
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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.
“It is perfectly possible that the indirect effects only feed through once and then fizzle out later.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The GAO made three recommendations to the BLS, including seeking more input on changes to the jobs report and increasing transparency about the effects of declining response rates.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
While the current drop-off is nowhere near as severe as it was in 2015—with BTC falling 50% within two weeks at that time—the effects are plenty tough for short-term investors.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
The GAO made three recommendations to the BLS, including seeking more input on changes to the jobs report and increasing transparency about the effects of declining response rates.
From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026
The effects are felt throughout the United States.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
