effectuate
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of effectuate
1570–80; < Medieval Latin effectuātus brought to pass (past participle of effectuāre ), equivalent to Latin effectu-, stem of effectus effect ( effect ) + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To effectuate is to produce a result or make something happen. Effectuating accomplishes things. Things that have an effect make something happen: they're significant in some way. Similarly, to effectuate is to cause something to happen or set it up so something can happen. A doctor who effectuates a cure has found a cure. A general who effectuates an attack has made the attack happen. Some people think computers effectuate a short attention span, meaning the short attention span is caused by computers. Effectuating is about cause and effect.
Vocabulary lists containing effectuate
This Week in Words: August 11 - 17, 2018
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The Milagro Beanfield War
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Paradise
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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.
See Examples For:
And so I think that he enjoys that a lot on a personal level, but also on a presidential level as someone who wants to effectuate change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 5, 2026
They know that their court has limited time, resources, and political capital to effectuate it.
From Slate ● Aug. 13, 2025
It's part of the reason why I'm in policy school right now because I needed to understand how laws are made, how people actually effectuate change.
From Salon ● Mar. 16, 2024
She added that while "the number of people who have federal offences are very low, a pardon at the federal level doesn't effectuate the kind of record clearance we want to see".
From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2023
But, in order to effectuate ideological control, there must be an organization which will permit pressure to be exercised on the individual in such a compelling manner that the exercise of external coercion becomes unnecessary.
From The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
A White House spokesperson said of the cuts at the time that EI-ISAC’s work no longer effectuated the priorities of the Department of Homeland Security.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
That metric is called effectuated enrollment, which is viewed as a more accurate reflection of ACA enrollment than sign-ups.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 13, 2026
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, forged in the wake of the Civil War, effectuated what many historians called a Second Founding of our nation.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2024
“Every time we’ve seen change occur it’s been effectuated from a revelation that has shocked people’s conscience, and that has been the motivator for change,” Walsh said.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 29, 2021
The Great Depression effectuated a sea change in American race relations and party alignment.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
"It's not just about money; it's also about effectuating some kind of change," Giuffra said, saying any settlement with Cornell would include steps to "protect, educate, support students."
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
His work continued, along with a few others, thanks to support from Murmur, an organization designed to support labels and industry names, effectuating the commitments made when the Music Climate Pact was signed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
ISS centers its recommendations around whether the activists have made a compelling case that change is warranted and, if so, which nominees are more likely to succeed at effectuating the change.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 15, 2018
"We have had unprecedented success at effectuating the President’s agenda," Sessions said.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2018
Bonaparte, after effectuating the peace by means of terror, loaded Austria with flattery.
From Germany from the Earliest Period Volume 4 by Mrs. George Horrocks
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
