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.
His home is subject to a reverse mortgage, and although he can barely maintain it anymore, he may need to remain there for the reverse-mortgage terms to remain in effect.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
It also had “what was in effect a formidable army of 40,000 paramilitaries, and it had a foreign policy. It was independent enough to launch a war.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"Children in effect undergo a body composition reset at the plateau around age 4 years, which prepares them for the growth stages after that age," he explains.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
On 15 March 2025, UnknownHustler forwarded him a message, which was in effect a Foxtrot online tender for business, known by police as VaaS.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
I was frightened, because I had, in effect, been summoned into a royal presence.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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.
