Meaning & use
effective efficient
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Successful in producing the result you want; achieving the intended outcome.
Grammar: Used to describe methods, treatments, or people that work well; often followed by 'in' or 'at'.
Patterns
- effective in doing something
- effective at something
- highly effective
- prove effective
The new drug proved highly effective in treating the infection.
She is very effective at dealing with difficult customers.
The advertising campaign was effective because sales increased by 20 percent.
adjectivecomparable
Working well without wasting time, money, or energy; producing results with minimum waste.
Grammar: Describes systems, machines, or people that use resources well; often used with 'energy-efficient' or 'cost-efficient'.
Patterns
- efficient at something
- energy-efficient
- cost-efficient
- highly efficient
The new assembly line is more efficient and uses less electricity.
She is an efficient worker who never wastes time.
We need a more efficient way to process these applications.
Word forms
| comparative | more effective |
|---|---|
| superlative | most effective |
| comparative | more efficient |
| superlative | most efficient |
Common combinations
- effective way
- This is an effective way to teach grammar to beginners.
- efficient use
- The company encourages the efficient use of resources.
- highly effective
- The vaccine is highly effective against the virus.
- energy-efficient
- They installed energy-efficient light bulbs throughout the building.
- cost-effective
- We need a cost-effective solution that saves money.
Synonyms and how they differ
- effectual
- Formal and less common; it means producing the desired result, similar to 'effective'.
- efficacious
- Very formal, often used for medicines or treatments that produce the intended effect.
- productive
- Focuses on producing a lot of results, not necessarily the intended one.
Opposites
Word family
- effect noun
- A result or change caused by something.
- effectively adverb
- In a way that produces the intended result.
- efficiency noun
- The quality of working well without waste.
- efficiently adverb
- In a way that uses little time or resources.
Commonly confused: effective efficient or effective? effective efficient or efficient?
effective efficient vs effective
Focuses on producing a result, while 'efficient' focuses on doing it with little waste. A car can be effective at getting you there but not efficient if it uses too much fuel.
effective efficient vs efficient
Often used for systems and processes, while 'effective' is often used for results and outcomes.
Practice
The new software is very ______; it saves us hours of work each week.
Choose one answer.
'Efficient' means working well without wasting time or resources, which fits saving hours of work. 'Effective' means producing the desired result, but it does not emphasize saving time. 'Effectively' is an adverb and 'efficiency' is a noun, so they do not fit grammatically after 'very'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “effective efficient”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.