Adjacent Words

Ineffectual definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

INEFFECT'UAL, a. [in and effectual.] Not producing its proper effect, or not able to produce its effect; inefficient; weak; as an ineffectual remedy; the Spaniards made an ineffectual attempt to reduce Gibraltar. [See Inefficacious.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: not producing an intended effect; "an ineffective teacher"; "ineffective legislation" [syn: ineffective, uneffective, ineffectual] [ant: effective, effectual, efficacious]
2: producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt" [syn: futile, ineffectual, otiose, unavailing]
3: lacking in power or forcefulness; "an ineffectual ruler"; "like an unable phoenix in hot ashes" [syn: ineffective, ineffectual, unable]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Date: 15th century 1. not producing the proper or intended effect ; futile 2. ineffective 2 • ineffectuality noun • ineffectually adverb • ineffectualness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 a without effect. b not producing the desired or expected effect. 2 (of a person) lacking the ability to achieve results (an ineffectual leader). Derivatives: ineffectuality n. ineffectually adv. ineffectualness n. Etymology: ME f. med.L ineffectualis (as IN-(1), EFFECTUAL)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Ineffectual In`ef*fec"tu*al (?; 135), a. Not producing the proper effect; without effect; inefficient; weak; useless; futile; unavailing; as, an ineffectual attempt; an ineffectual expedient. --Pope. The peony root has been much commended, . . . and yet has been by many found ineffectual. --Boyle. Syn: Inefficient; useless; inefficacious; vain; fruitless; unavailing; futile. See Useless, Inefficacious.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If someone or something is ineffectual, they fail to do what they are expected to do or are trying to do. The mayor had become ineffectual in the struggle to clamp down on drugs. ADJ • ineffectually Her voice trailed off ineffectually. ADV

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Inefficacious, ineffective, unavailing, fruitless, useless, abortive, bootless, to no purpose, without effect. 2. Powerless, weak, impotent, feeble, inefficient.

Moby Thesaurus

abortive, acarpous, aimless, arid, barren, bootless, borne, celibate, childless, counterproductive, desert, desolate, drained, dried-up, dry, effete, emasculate, empty, etiolated, exhausted, failed, failing, fallow, fatuitous, fatuous, featherweight, feckless, forceless, fruitless, futile, gaunt, gelded, ill-qualified, impotent, inadequate, inane, incapable, incompetent, ineffective, inefficacious, inefficient, infecund, infertile, inoperative, invalid, invertebrate, issueless, jejune, lame, leached, lightweight, limited, maladjusted, manque, mean, meaningless, menopausal, miscarried, miscarrying, narrow, no go, no-account, nonfertile, nonproducing, nonproductive, nonprolific, not equal to, not up to, nugacious, nugatory, of no account, of no effect, of no force, of no use, paltry, pointless, powerless, purposeless, set, sine prole, small, spineless, sterile, stickit, stillborn, successless, sucked dry, superfluous, teemless, unable, unadapted, unadjusted, unauthoritative, unavailable, unavailing, uncultivated, unequipped, unfertile, unfit, unfitted, unfortunate, unfruitful, unplowed, unproductive, unprolific, unqualified, unsown, unsuccessful, untilled, useless, vain, virgin, waste, wasted, weak, without any weight, without issue