effectiveness
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
The real measure of effectiveness is whether the intervention forces the market to reconnect the yen’s level against the dollar to the interest rate gap between the U.S. and Japan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
"If the entire colony was exposed, this could lead to decreased pollination effectiveness and reduced honey production, risking colony survival and long-term stability."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
She said the world was living through "one of the most exciting moments in the history of HIV science," with prevention medicines that have almost vaccine-like effectiveness.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
They concluded the studies did "not provide strong independent evidence of improved patient safety, acceptability or cost effectiveness".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Frequently use self-assessment as a means to improve future performance and to increase their effectiveness with those around them.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
