Effective typically describes things—such as policies, treatments, arguments, and techniques—that do what they are intended to do. People can also be described as effective when they accomplish what …

EFFECTIVE definition: 1. successful or achieving the results that you want: 2. (used about a treatment or drug) working…. Learn more.

The adjective effective describes things that are adequate to accomplish a purpose, or that produce the intended or expected result. But effective isn’t quite the same as effectual, efficacious, or efficient!

Definition of effective adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Effective means having a particular role or result in practice, though not officially or in theory. They have had effective control of the area since the security forces left. The restructuring resulted in an …

Effective and efficient are often confused, but they have slightly different meanings. If you are effective, you do a job properly; if you are efficient, you do it quickly and easily.

EFFECTIVE meaning: 1 : producing a result that is wanted having an intended effect; 2 : in use active

From Longman Business Dictionary ef‧fec‧tive /ɪˈfektɪv/ adjective 1 working well and producing the result or effect that was wanted or intended The company mounted a very effective publicity campaign.

Find 855 different ways to say EFFECTIVE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Aug 28, 2025 · Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary from 1913 lists efficient and effective as synonyms, but all major dictionaries now show that these words now only have different meanings in …