Adjacent Words

Effective definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

EFFECT'IVE, a. Having the power to cause or produce; efficacious.
They are not effective of any thing.
1. Operative; active; having the quality of producing effects.
Time is not effective,nor are bodies destroyed by it.
2. Efficient; causing to be; as an effective cause.
3. Having the power of active operation; able; as effective men in any army; an effective force.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect; "an air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long- distance transportation"-LewisMumford; "effective teaching methods"; "effective steps toward peace"; "made an effective entrance"; "his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action"; "an efficacious law" [syn: effective, effectual, efficacious] [ant: ineffective, ineffectual, uneffective]
2: able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively; "people who will do nothing unless they get something out of it for themselves are often highly effective persons..."-G.B.Shaw; "effective personnel"; "an efficient secretary"; "the efficient cause of the revolution" [syn: effective, efficient]
3: works well as a means or remedy; "an effective reprimand"; "a lotion that is effective in cases of prickly heat"
4: exerting force or influence; "the law is effective immediately"; "a warranty good for two years"; "the law is already in effect (or in force)" [syn: effective, good, in effect, in force]
5: existing in fact; not theoretical; real; "a decline in the effective demand"; "confused increased equipment and expenditure with the quantity of effective work done"
6: ready for service; "the fort was held by about 100 effective soldiers"

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Date: 14th century 1. a. producing a decided, decisive, or desired effect <an effective policy> b. impressive, striking <a gold lamé fabric studded with effective…precious stones — Stanley Marcus> 2. ready for service or action <effective manpower> 3. actual <the need to increase effective demand for goods> 4. being in effect ; operative <the tax becomes effective next year> 5. of a rate of interest equal to the rate of simple interest that yields the same amount when the interest is paid once at the end of the interest period as a quoted rate of interest does when calculated at compound interest over the same period — compare nominal 4 • effectiveness noun • effectivity noun Synonyms: effective, effectual, efficient, efficacious mean producing or capable of producing a result. effective stresses the actual production of or the power to produce an effect <an effective rebuttal>. effectual suggests the accomplishment of a desired result especially as viewed after the fact <the measures to stop the pilfering proved effectual>. efficient suggests an acting or a potential for action or use in such a way as to avoid loss or waste of energy in effecting, producing, or functioning <an efficient small car>. efficacious suggests possession of a special quality or virtue that gives effective power <a detergent that is efficacious in removing grease>. II. noun Date: 1722 one that is effective; especially a soldier equipped for duty

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. & n. --adj. 1 having a definite or desired effect. 2 powerful in effect; impressive. 3 a actual; existing in fact rather than officially or theoretically (took effective control in their absence). b actually usable; realizable; equivalent in its effect (effective money; effective demand). 4 coming into operation (effective as from 1 May). 5 (of manpower) fit for work or service. --n. a soldier available for service. Derivatives: effectively adv. effectiveness n. Etymology: ME f. L effectivus (as EFFECT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Effective Ef*fect"ive, n. The serviceable soldiers in a country; an army or any military body, collectively; as, France's effective.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Effective Ef*fect"ive, n. 1. That which produces a given effect; a cause. --Jer. Taylor. 2. One who is capable of active service. He assembled his army -- 20,000 effectives -- at Corinth. --W. P. Johnston. 3. [F. effectif real, effective, real amount.] (Com.) Specie or coin, as distinguished from paper currency; -- a term used in many parts of Europe. --Simmonds.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Effective Ef*fect"ive, a. [L. effectivus: cf. F. effectif.] Having the power to produce an effect or effects; producing a decided or decisive effect; efficient; serviceable; operative; as, an effective force, remedy, speech; the effective men in a regiment. They are not effective of anything, nor leave no work behind them. --Bacon. Whosoever is an effective, real cause of doing his heighbor wrong, is criminal. --Jer. Taylor. Syn: Efficient; forcible; active; powerful; energetic; competent. See Effectual.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Something that is effective works well and produces the results that were intended. The project looks at how we could be more effective in encouraging students to enter teacher training... Simple antibiotics are effective against this organism... ...an effective public transport system. ADJ: oft ADJ in -ing, ADJ against n • effectively ...the team roles which you believe to be necessary for the team to function effectively... Services need to be more effectively organised than they are at present. ADV: usu ADV after v, also ADV -ed • effectiveness ...the effectiveness of computers as an educational tool. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 2. 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. ADJ: ADJ n 3. When something such as a law or an agreement becomes effective, it begins officially to apply or be valid. The new rules will become effective in the next few days. ADJ: v-link ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Competent, adequate, sufficient, effectual. 2. Powerful, forcible, energetic, potent, cogent, efficacious. 3. Operative, active, efficient.

Moby Thesaurus

able, acid, active, actual, adequate, armipotent, authoritative, banausic, basic, biting, capable, charismatic, charming, cogent, compelling, competent, consequential, conspicuous, convincing, corrosive, cutting, direct, driving, dynamic, effectual, efficacious, efficient, enchanting, energetic, equal to, essential, estimable, feasible, forceful, forcible, functional, functioning, go, gutsy, high-potency, high-powered, high-pressure, high-tension, imperative, important, impressive, in force, in operation, in power, incisive, influential, irresistible, magnetic, mighty, mighty in battle, momentous, mordant, moving, nervous, noticeable, operable, operational, operative, outstanding, penetrating, personable, persuasive, piercing, poignant, potent, powerful, practicable, practical, pragmatic, prepotent, prestigious, productive, proficient, puissant, punchy, real, realizable, remarkable, reputable, ruling, sensational, serviceable, sinewed, sinewy, slashing, sound, striking, strong, suasive, substantial, telling, trenchant, true, up to, useful, valid, vigorous, virtuous, vital, weighty, winning, workable