: something that alters a sung, played, or recorded sound in order to produce a desired quality—usually used in plural
As you arrange your samples, you can add effects like reverb, raise or lower the tempo or even run the sample backward.—N'gai Croal and Walaika Haskins
3
: the quality or state of being operative : operation
The parking ban is no longer in effect.
The law goes into effect next week.
No coastal warnings or watches were put into effect.—Associated Press
The Government intends to pass legislation giving effect to the reforms …—Thomas Coughlan
Before the bond issue can move ahead, City Council must approve the cooperation agreement. Legislation to that effect was introduced this week.—Mark Belko
I desire simply to be quit of you; and to that effect, I put a boat and complement of men at your disposal.—Robert Louis Stevenson
Is all our travail turn'd to this effect?—Shakespeare
the duty of the legislature to effect the will of the citizens
Effect vs. Affect: Usage Guide
Effect and affect are often confused because of their similar spelling and pronunciation. The verb affect entry 2 usually has to do with pretense.
she affected a cheery disposition despite feeling down
The more common verb affect entry 1 denotes having an effect or influence.
the weather affected everyone's mood
The verb effect goes beyond mere influence; it refers to actual achievement of a final result.
the new administration hopes to effect a peace settlement
The uncommon noun affect, which has a meaning relating to psychology, is also sometimes mistakenly used for the very common effect. In ordinary use, the noun you will want is effect.
perform implies action that follows established patterns or procedures or fulfills agreed-upon requirements and often connotes special skill.
performed gymnastics
execute stresses the carrying out of what exists in plan or in intent.
executed the hit-and-run
discharge implies execution and completion of appointed duties or tasks.
discharged his duties
accomplish stresses the successful completion of a process rather than the means of carrying it out.
accomplished everything they set out to do
achieve adds to accomplish the implication of conquered difficulties.
achieve greatness
effect adds to achieve an emphasis on the inherent force in the agent capable of surmounting obstacles.
effected sweeping reforms
fulfill implies a complete realization of ends or possibilities.
fulfilled their ambitions
Examples of effect in a Sentence
NounThe nation's most solvent individuals—private-equity barons—have not been immune from the ill effects of the credit crunch.—Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2008In the Spanish conquest of the Incas, guns played only a minor role. … They did produce a big psychological effect on those occasions when they managed to fire.—Jared M. Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, 1997Economic effects of such high speed change are also unpredictable and somewhat chilling …—Genevieve Stuttaford, Publisher's Weekly, 29 July 1996Unlike the venom of coral snakes, fer-de-lance venom has no direct effect on the nervous system but digests muscle, destroys blood cells and causes hemorrhaging and massive edema (swelling).—Robert K. Colwell, Natural History, April 1985
He now needs more of the drug to achieve the same effect.
The experience has had a bad effect on him.
Computers have had a profound effect on our lives.
The effects of the drug soon wore off.
This treatment causes fewer ill effects.
The change in policy had little effect on most people.
He was able to stop taking the drug without ill effect.
The total effect of the painting was one of gloom.
The color gives the effect of being warm.
He achieves amazing effects with wood. VerbAs the whole progress of mathematics from its ancient simplicities to what we call its "higher" modern developments has been effected by assuming impossibilities and inconceivabilities, your line of argument does not seem to me conclusive.—Bernard Shawcirca 4 Nov. 1932,
in Collected Letters: 1926–1950, 1988When, at last, rescue is at hand, Jewitt has no hesitation in lying to his old friend and master, Maquinna, in order to effect his escape, although he does persuade the captain of the brig Lydia not to kill the chief.—Carolyn Kizer, New York Times Book Review, 21 Feb. 1988I had just written the Gossets that your address was Drujon Lane, so I would be obliged if you would drop them a card and tell them your release has been effected.—Flannery O'Connor, The Habit of Being, 1979Hitherto, while gathering up the discourse of Mr. Brocklehurst and Miss Temple, I had not, at the same time, neglected precautions to secure my personal safety; which I thought would be effected, if I could only elude observation.—Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, 1847
They are trying to effect a settlement of the dispute.
The duty of the legislature is to effect the will of the people. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
It has been shortlisted for the Oscars, in international feature film, makeup & hairstyling, original score and visual effects.—John Hopewell, Variety, 16 Jan. 2024 This effect can outweigh the drag from unwinding excess savings.—Jennifer Moss, Fortune, 16 Jan. 2024 The near-tie for second could mean that the Iowa result won’t have much effect on either the Haley or DeSantis campaigns’ ability to move forward to the next contest, in New Hampshire next week, where Haley has been gaining ground, but DeSantis has been largely absent.—Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2024 The company halted sales of some watch models briefly last month after a U.S. import ban went into effect stemming from an October ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission.—Aaron Tilley, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2024 Cooper also used actual locations to great effect, including Carnegie Hall, Ely Cathedral, Tanglewood, Broadway’s St. James Theatre and the Bernsteins’ Fairfield house in Connecticut.—Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Jan. 2024 As the weekend comes to a close, a wind chill advisory is now in effect for Greater Cincinnati and other nearby areas, according to the National Weather Service.—Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 14 Jan. 2024 Many spots across the southern US awoke to dangerous, sub-zero wind chills, and NWS Wind Chill products in effect for 25 states.—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 14 Jan. 2024 The transition to cashless, which went into effect Jan. 1, will align Lake Mead with 29 other National Park Service locations across the U.S., according to a news release.—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 4 Jan. 2024 See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'effect.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English effect, effete "achievement, result, capacity to produce a result, gist, purpose," borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French effette, effect, borrowed from Latin effectus "carrying out (of a purpose or task), result, mode of operation," from effec-, variant stem of efficere "to make, construct, bring about, produce, carry out" (from ef-, assimilated form of ex-ex- entry 1 + facere "to do, make, bring about") + -tus, suffix of action nouns — more at fact
Verb
in part verbal derivative of effect entry 1, in part borrowed from Latin effectus, past participle of efficere "to make, bring about" — more at effect entry 1
the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures—U.S. Constitution amend. IV
3
: the quality or state of being operative
when the new law goes into effect
effect
2 of 2transitive verb
1
: to cause to come into being
2
: to bring about often by surmounting obstacles
effect a settlement of the dispute
3
: to put into operation
the duty of the legislature to effect the will of the citizens
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