effective

  • 1effective — 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. • The 7% increase in sales shows that the company has become more… …

    Financial and business terms

  • 2effective — effective, effectual, efficient, efficacious all mean producing or capable of producing a result or results, but they are not freely interchangeable in idiomatic use. Effective emphasizes the actual production of an effect or the power to produce …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 3effective — ef·fec·tive adj 1: producing a desired effect an effective revocation of the contract 2: capable of bringing about an effect effective assistance of counsel see also ineffective assistance o …

    Law dictionary

  • 4effective — effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient 1. All these words mean ‘having an effect’ of some kind, but with different applications and shades of meaning. Effective means ‘having a definite or desired effect’ that is actual rather than… …

    Modern English usage

  • 5Effective — 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 …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 6Effective — Ef*fect ive, n. 1. That which produces a given effect; a cause. Jer. Taylor. [1913 Webster] 2. One who is capable of active service. [1913 Webster] He assembled his army 20,000 effectives at Corinth. W. P. Johnston. [1913 Webster] 3. [F. effectif …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 7effective — [e fek′tiv, ifek′tiv; ] often [ ēfek′tiv, əfek′tiv] adj. [ME & OFr effectif < L effectivus] 1. having an effect; producing a result 2. producing a definite or desired result; efficient 3. in effect; operative; active 4. actual, not merely… …

    English World dictionary

  • 8effective — late 14c., from Fr. effectif, from L. effectivus productive, effective, from effect , stem of efficere (see EFFECT (Cf. effect)). Effectively in the sense of actually is attested by 1650s. Related: Effectivity …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 9effective — [adj1] productive, persuasive able, active, adequate, capable, cogent, compelling, competent, convincing, direct, effectual, efficacious, efficient, emphatic, energetic, forceful, forcible, having lead in pencil*, impressive, live, moving, on the …

    New thesaurus

  • 10effective — ► ADJECTIVE 1) producing a desired or intended result. 2) (of a law or policy) operative. 3) existing in fact, though not formally acknowledged as such. DERIVATIVES effectively adverb effectiveness noun effectivity noun …

    English terms dictionary