ineffective
Americanadjective
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not effective; not producing results; ineffectual.
ineffective efforts; ineffective remedies.
-
inefficient or incompetent; incapable.
an ineffective manager.
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lacking in artistic effect, as a literary work, theatrical production, or painting.
adjective
-
having no effect
-
incompetent or inefficient
Other Word Forms
- ineffectively adverb
- ineffectiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of ineffective
Explanation
Use the adjective ineffective to describe something that doesn't work quite the way it's supposed to. You might complain about your ineffective guard dog, who wags his tail and licks everyone who comes to your house. When you're ineffective, you're unable to accomplish something you're trying to do. You might realize that you're an ineffective babysitter when you can't get the kids to go to bed. Ineffective comes from the Latin prefix in, "not, or opposite of," added to effective, whose Latin root is effectivus, "productive." When something's unproductive, inefficient, or incapable, it's ineffective.
Vocabulary lists containing ineffective
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: in-, im-, il-, ir-
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in-
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Novel Study: Hatchet
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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.
Although fact-checking can be successful in establishing the facts among people who have not already made up their minds, it is generally ineffective among true believers.
From Salon • Apr. 13, 2026
We dislike insecure bellicosity not just because it’s embarrassing, but because it is ineffective.
From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026
But cheap doesn’t mean ineffective, especially in large numbers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Social media companies argue that blanket bans will be ineffective, difficult to enforce and could isolate vulnerable teenagers.
From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026
"What was that, a dream? What was ineffective about that crowd?"
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
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.
