efficiently
Americanadverb
-
in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; capably or competently.
Getting this many people to pass information among themselves efficiently, let alone come up with a coherent plan that everybody understands, requires practice.
-
in a satisfactory and economical way.
The product they are donating will give our volunteers the proper materials to build our homes as efficiently as possible.
-
in a way that utilizes a particular resource with the least waste (usually used in combination).
The lighter your car is, the more fuel-efficiently it will drive.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of efficiently
Explanation
If you do something efficiently, you do it productively and quickly. When your dentist efficiently examines your teeth, you are grateful because he does a good job and it's all over quickly. The adverb efficiently has origins in the Latin word efficere, meaning "work out, accomplish." Efficiently can describe any action that's done without wasting time, effort, or materials — and still manages to produce the desired outcome. Today people are using power, fuel, and water more efficiently to conserve natural resources. As a project manager, you efficiently manage your projects so they stay on schedule and under budget.
Vocabulary lists containing efficiently
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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.
When fuel is expensive, cargo ships often run slower to burn it more efficiently, he said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
But the commission will look to clarify for governments and airlines which existing tools can be deployed to ensure jet fuel is used as efficiently as possible and at the lowest possible cost.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
Financial success hinges on converting backlog into revenue, which requires bringing new data-center capacity online quickly and efficiently.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
The venture, which counts Goldman Sachs and Blackstone among its backers, expects to target private-equity-owned businesses that are trying to use AI to run more efficiently.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
If meetings are quick and impersonal, they have been efficiently managed.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
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.
