Meanings
adjectiveeffective (comparative more effective, superlative most effective)
comparative more effective · superlative most effective · alternative eff.
- Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.
The pill is an effective method of birth control.
2 more examples
"Capital idea; we'll go together and complain: two will be more effective," suggested Mr. Belting.
1923, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], “(please specify the page)”, in The Eyes of Max Carrados, London: Grant Richards, →OCLCFire ants circumvented the problem of an ineffective sting by having an unusual and highly effective venom that when daubed or sprayed on other ants penetrates their waxy protective integumental barrier and kills or disables them.
2016, Justin O. Schmidt, The Sting of the Wild, Johns Hopkins University Press, →ISBN, page 102Synonyms: efficacious
- Producing a decided or decisive effect.
The president delivered an effective speech!
1 more example
Whosoever is an effective, real cause of doing his neighbour wrong, is criminal.
1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLCSynonyms: telling
- Efficient, serviceable, or operative, available for useful work.
My effective income after taxes and child support is $500 a month.
3 more examples
How long does it take to make a bunch of civilians an effective military force?
The effective radiated power is determined by multiplying the transmitter power output with the antenna gain.
The effective voltage of an alternating current is 0.7 times its peak voltage.
Antonyms: nominal
- Actually in effect.
effective immediately
1 more example
The curfew is effective at midnight.
- geometryHaving no negative coefficients.
- natural sciencesapproximate; Not describing the fundamental dynamic changes in some system as they happen.
nouneffective (plural effectives)
plural effectives · alternative eff.
- governmenta 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.
1876, Dabney Herndon Maury; Southern Historical Society Papers: Volume 2, Number 4, Recollections of the Elkhorn Campaign
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveHaving the power to produce a required effect or effects.
Similar
adjectiveProducing a decided or decisive effect.
Similar
adjectiveEfficient, serviceable, or operative, available for useful work.
Opposite
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveproducing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
Opposite
adjectiveworks well as a means or remedy
Similar
adjectiveready for service
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰ
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁éǵʰs
- Proto-Italic*eks
- Latinex
- Latinex-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰeh₁k-
- Proto-Indo-European*dʰh₁kyéti
- Proto-Italic*θakjō
- Proto-Italic*fakjō
- Latinfaciō
- Latinefficiō
- Latineffectīvu
- Frencheffectif
- Englisheffective
From French effectif, from Latin effectīvus (“productive; effective”), from efficiō (“to make; to bring about”), equivalent to effect + -ive.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek πρακτικός, δραστήριος
- πρακτικός (praktikós)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- δραστήριος (drastḗrios)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- ἐνεργής (energḗs)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- ἐνεργητικός (energētikós)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- ἀνύσιμος (anúsimos)producing a decided or decisive effect
- ἀνυστικός (anustikós)producing a decided or decisive effect
Arabic فَعَّال
- فَعَّال (faʕʕāl)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
Bulgarian ефекти́вен, резултатен
- ефекти́вен (efektíven)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- резултатен (rezultaten)producing a decided or decisive effect
- ефикасен (efikasen)efficient, serviceable, or operative
- действи́телен (dejstvítelen)actually in effect
Catalan eficaç, eficaç
- eficaçhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- eficaçproducing a decided or decisive effect
- eficaçefficient, serviceable, or operative
- efectiuactually in effect
Danish virksom, effektiv
- virksomhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effektivhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effektivproducing a decided or decisive effect
- virksomproducing a decided or decisive effect
Dutch efficiënt, werkzaam
- efficiënthaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- werkzaamhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effectiefhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effectiefproducing a decided or decisive effect
- effectiefactually in effect
Esperanto efika
- efikahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Finnish tehokas, vaikuttava
- tehokashaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- vaikuttavahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- tehoavahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- toimivahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- tuloksia tuottavahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- vaikuttavaproducing a decided or decisive effect
- vaikuttavaefficient, serviceable, or operative
- tehollinenefficient, serviceable, or operative
- tosiasiallinenefficient, serviceable, or operative
- käytettävissä olevaefficient, serviceable, or operative
- voimassaactually in effect
- voimassa olevaactually in effect
French efficace, efficace
- efficacehaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efficaceproducing a decided or decisive effect
- décisifproducing a decided or decisive effect
- efficaceefficient, serviceable, or operative
- en vigueuractually in effect
German wirksam, effektiv
- wirksamhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effektivhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- wirkungsvollhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- wirksamproducing a decided or decisive effect
- effektivefficient, serviceable, or operative
- wirkungsvollefficient, serviceable, or operative
- wirksamactually in effect
- in Kraftactually in effect
Greek αποτελεσματικός
- αποτελεσματικός (apotelesmatikós)producing a decided or decisive effect
Hebrew יָעִיל, אפקטיבי
- יָעִיל (ya'íl)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- אפקטיבי (efektívi)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
Hungarian hatásos, hatékony
- hatásoshaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- hatékonyhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- hathatóshaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- eredményeshaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- célravezetőhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- hatásosproducing a decided or decisive effect
- megfelelőproducing a decided or decisive effect
- találóproducing a decided or decisive effect
- effektívefficient, serviceable, or operative
- ténylegesefficient, serviceable, or operative
- valóságosefficient, serviceable, or operative
- hasznosefficient, serviceable, or operative
Indonesian efektif, efektif
- efektifhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efektifproducing a decided or decisive effect
- efektifactually in effect
Irish éifeachtach
- éifeachtachhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Italian efficace, efficiente
- efficacehaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efficienteefficient, serviceable, or operative
Latin efficax, efficax
- efficaxhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efficaxproducing a decided or decisive effect
Latvian iedarbīgs, iedarbīgs
- iedarbīgshaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- iedarbīgsproducing a decided or decisive effect
Malay berkesan
- berkesanhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Māori pekepakihiwi, pekepakihiwi
- pekepakihiwihaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- pekepakihiwiproducing a decided or decisive effect
Norwegian virkningsfull, virkningsfull
- virkningsfullhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- virkningsfullproducing a decided or decisive effect
- effektivefficient, serviceable, or operative
- virksomactually in effect
Polish efektywny, skuteczny
- efektywnyhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- skutecznyhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efektywnyactually in effect
Portuguese eficaz, efetivo
- eficazhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- efetivohaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- eficazproducing a decided or decisive effect
- eficazefficient, serviceable, or operative
- efetivoactually in effect
Romanian eficace, de efect
- eficacehaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- de efectproducing a decided or decisive effect
- netefficient, serviceable, or operative
Russian эффекти́вный, результати́вный
- эффекти́вный (effektívnyj)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- результати́вный (rezulʹtatívnyj)producing a decided or decisive effect
- эффекти́вный (effektívnyj)efficient, serviceable, or operative
- де́йственный (déjstvennyj)efficient, serviceable, or operative
- де́йствующий (déjstvujuščij)actually in effect
- действи́тельный (dejstvítelʹnyj)actually in effect
Scottish Gaelic èifeachdach, èifeachdach
- èifeachdachhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- èifeachdachproducing a decided or decisive effect
- èifeachdachefficient, serviceable, or operative
Slovak účinný, účinný
- účinnýhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- účinnýefficient, serviceable, or operative
- skutočnýefficient, serviceable, or operative
Spanish efectivo, eficaz
- efectivohaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- eficazhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- presentáneohaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Swedish effektiv, verksam
- effektivhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- verksamhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- verkningsfullhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- effektivproducing a decided or decisive effect
- verksamefficient, serviceable, or operative
- funktionellefficient, serviceable, or operative
- fungerandeefficient, serviceable, or operative
- träder i kraftactually in effect
Tagalog mabisa, epektibo
- mabisahaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- epektibohaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- epektibhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- mapakipakinabangefficient, serviceable, or operative
Thai มีประสิทธิภาพ, มีประสิทธิผล
- มีประสิทธิภาพhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
- มีประสิทธิผลhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Turkish efektif
- efektifhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Ukrainian ефекти́вний, результати́вний
- ефекти́вний (efektývnyj)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- результати́вний (rezulʹtatývnyj)producing a decided or decisive effect
Welsh effeithiol
- effeithiolhaving the power to produce a required effect or effects
Yiddish עפֿעקטיוו, עפֿעקטיוו
- עפֿעקטיוו (efektiv)having the power to produce a required effect or effects
- עפֿעקטיוו (efektiv)producing a decided or decisive effect
- עפֿעקטיוו (efektiv)efficient, serviceable, or operative
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with effective
respectiveobjectivecollectiveprotectiveprospectivedirectiveselectivedetectivesubjectivedefectiveelectivereflectivecorrectiveretrospectiveineffectiveirrespectiveaffectiveconnectiveconvectiveprojectiveintrospectiveinfectiveinjectiveinvective
All rhymes →Sounds the same
affective (weak vowel merger)affective (weak vowel merger)
Cite this entry
APA
effective. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effective
MLA
“effective.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effective. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “effective,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/effective.
Source: effective on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.