effectively
Americanadverb
-
in a way that accomplishes a purpose or produces the intended or expected results.
These scissors are no longer sharp and do not cut effectively.
You may not like all your coworkers, but you still have to learn to work effectively with them.
-
in actuality; in practice.
Allowing the legislature to take existing money for schools and use it for other purposes effectively means there will be no new money for education.
-
in a way that produces a vivid impression; strikingly.
The visually rich photographs are effectively displayed against the stark white gallery walls.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of effectively
Explanation
Effectively is an adverb with two meanings; use it if you want to describe something that's done in an effective manner or as a replacement for words like "actually" or "basically." If wearing special gloves helps you catch a football more effectively, then it helps you get the job done better and more efficiently. People usually want to do their jobs more effectively. But this word can also mean actually or basically. If your grandparents are raising you, they are effectively your parents, and you are effectively their children. Whether they're raising you effectively in the first sense is another matter.
Vocabulary lists containing effectively
Inside: Academic Vocabulary
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4.3: Origins and Impact of the Western European Empires in the North Atlantic (Sources 1–9)
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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.
But Iran had effectively blockaded the key waterway, and just 25 nautical miles from Hormuz, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps denied permission for the vessel to proceed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026
China, Russia, Iran and North Korea are cooperating with one another more effectively than ever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
The authors estimated that private ratings are effectively two to three notches more favorable than public ratings with comparable impairment risk.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
“Wonder Man” indeed reveals this dramatic actor’s lighter side, but it’s Abdul-Mateen’s consistent ability to draw out his characters’ vulnerability that’s wielded so effectively.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
It had transmitted his DNA to the immunity database even more effectively than if he had kissed it.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
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.
