in effect
Idioms-
For all practical purposes, as in This testimony in effect contradicted her earlier statement . [Late 1500s]
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In or into operation, as in This law will be in effect in January . Related phrases include go into effect and take effect , which mean “become operative,” as in This law goes into effect January 1 , or It takes effect January 1 . Similarly, put into effect means “make operative,” as in When will the judge's ruling be put into effect? [Late 1700s] Also see in force , def. 2.
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.
The program aims to make annual savings of around 75 million euros and to be fully in effect from 2028.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Processors needed markets for what was, in effect, the crop’s increasingly abundant second product.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
"An evacuation order is in effect for all affected properties. Sheriff Deputies have notified residents in person, and a digital alert has been issued by the City."
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
When the 9/11 Commission Report was published in July 2004, Bayoumi was, in effect, cleared.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
His style, in effect, was not to have one.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
