effective
English · Français · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
effective
- /ɪˈfɛktɪv/
- /əˈfɛktɪv/
- /əˈfektɪv/ Australia
Sounds like affective (weak vowel merger) · Rhymes with -ɛktɪv
Where it comes from
From French effectif, from Latin effectīvus (“productive; effective”), from efficiō (“to make; to bring about”), equivalent to effect + -ive.
adjective more effective · most effective · eff.
-
Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.
The pill is an effective method of birth control.
Similar: efficacious
-
Producing a decided or decisive effect.
The president delivered an effective speech!
Similar: telling
-
Efficient, serviceable, or operative, available for useful work.
How long does it take to make a bunch of civilians an effective military force?
Opposite: nominal
- Actually in effect. effective immediately
- Having no negative coefficients.
- Such that no group element acts trivially.
- approximate; Not describing the fundamental dynamic changes in some system as they happen.
noun effectives · eff.
- a soldier fit for duty The Army of the West reached Corinth sometime after the battle of Shiloh. We were 15,000 effectives, and brought Beauregard's effective force up to 45,000 men.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: efficacious, effectual, operative, in effect, competent, operational, efficient, actual, impressive, good, telling, existent, hard-hitting, trenchant, impelling, in force
Translations
Every language
adj having the power to produce a required effect or effects
| Español | efectivo, eficaz, presentáneo |
|---|---|
| Português | eficaz, efetivo |
| Français | efficace |
| Deutsch | wirksam, effektiv, wirkungsvoll |
| Italiano | efficace |
| Română | eficace |
| Русский | эффекти́вный effektívnyj |
| العربية | فَعَّال faʕʕāl |
| עברית | יָעִיל ya'íl, אפקטיבי efektívi |
adj producing a decided or decisive effect
| Português | eficaz |
|---|---|
| Français | efficace, décisif |
| Deutsch | wirksam |
| Ελληνικά | αποτελεσματικός apotelesmatikós |
| Română | de efect |
| Русский | результати́вный rezulʹtatívnyj |
adj efficient, serviceable, or operative
| Português | eficaz |
|---|---|
| Français | efficace |
| Deutsch | effektiv, wirkungsvoll |
| Italiano | efficiente |
| Română | net |
| Русский | эффекти́вный effektívnyj, де́йственный déjstvennyj |
adj actually in effect
| Português | efetivo |
|---|---|
| Français | en vigueur |
| Deutsch | wirksam, in Kraft |
| Русский | де́йствующий déjstvujuščij, действи́тельный dejstvítelʹnyj |
Talk about this word "effective." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/effective. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026. effective. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/effective "effective." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/effective.Cite this
@misc{effective_2026,
title = {effective},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/effective},
urldate = {2026-11-05}
}
