Definition of effective adjective in oxford advanced learner's dictionary.
Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
The adjective effective describes things that are adequate to accomplish a purpose, or that produce the intended or expected result.
But effective isn't quite the same as effectual,.
Effective, effectual, efficacious, efficient refer to that which is able to produce a (desired) effect.
Effective is applied to that which has the power to, or which actually does, produce an effect:.
Effective typically describes things—such as policies, treatments, arguments, and techniques—that do what they are intended to do.
People can also be described as effective.
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.
Successful or achieving the results that you want:
(used about a treatment or drug) working.
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Calculation of effective stress, the theory of which is an effective theory in mathematics and logic, effective is used to describe metalogical methods that fit the criteria of an effective procedure.
There are 17 meanings listed in oed's entry for the word effective, five of which are labelled obsolete.
See 'meaning & use' for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.