effectiveness
Americannoun
-
the quality of producing an intended or desired result.
For maximum effectiveness of your weight loss plan, you need to combine exercise with a healthy diet.
-
the quality of producing a deep or vivid impression.
We were struck by the evident appeal and effectiveness of these short, dramatic, upbeat video stories.
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a measure of the success of a vaccine or other pharmaceutical when used in the real world, as opposed to the controlled environment of a clinical trial.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of effectiveness
First recorded in 1600–10; effective ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )
Vocabulary lists containing effectiveness
Reading: Informational - Middle School
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Media Literacy - High School
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Media Literacy - Middle School
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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.
Yet the future secretary of state — and architect of the Marshall Plan — was most concerned with competence and candor leading to military effectiveness.
From Salon ● Sep. 20, 2026
The patient's laboratory measurements improved, although the researchers stressed that the complicated case and short treatment period prevent firm conclusions about the treatment's effectiveness.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
NPR described the outcome as a striking rejection of the FDA’s stance, pointing out that every one of these compounds lacks the large, well-controlled clinical trials required to prove safety and effectiveness in humans.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
County in 2018, had not been addressed by the time of the 2025 firestorms — and continued to hurt the county’s effectiveness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
The Forest Biology Division agreed to modify the spraying program in every possible way short of destroying its effectiveness, in order to reduce risks to the fish.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
