in effect

Idioms  

1. For all practical purposes, as in This testimony in effect contradicted her earlier statement . [Late 1500s]

2. 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.

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Example Sentences

While the U.S. blockade officially remains in effect on Tuesday, signs of loosening had emerged.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

A coastal flood advisory remains in effect through Wednesday morning, the weather service said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 14, 2026

Unlike Mexico, Greer said, Canada “has a different approach to the United States. They have some retaliatory tariffs still in effect, and that makes it a problem for us to negotiate.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

This, in effect, makes it even more important that Tuchel puts a line-up on the pitch against Costa Rica that is as close as possible to the one that will face Croatia.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

In the future we may have telescopes in the Earth’s orbit, around toward the other side of the Sun, in effect a radio telescope as large as the inner solar system.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan