efficiently
Americanadverb
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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.
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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.
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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
myPerspectives 7.4
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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.
Pacala, whom a colleague described as an expert “pitchman,” presented his chart of ideas: Use oil and gas more efficiently.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026
Sufficient calcium intake supports bone structure too, while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium efficiently.
From Science Daily • Jun. 25, 2026
The key is to get exposure to those premiums efficiently.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026
The fuel has a higher concentration of the fissile isotope U-235 than what’s used in traditional reactors, allowing smaller reactor designs to run more efficiently.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
The roustabouts, having spent much of the day sleeping in whatever corner they could find, are dismantling the great canvas city as efficiently as they put it up.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
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.
