efficiency

noun

ef·fi·cien·cy | \ i-ˈfi-shən-sē

plural efficiencies

Definition of efficiency

1 : the quality or degree of being efficient

2a : efficient operation

b(1) : effective operation as measured by a comparison of production with cost (as in energy, time, and money)

(2) : the ratio of the useful energy delivered by a dynamic system to the energy supplied to it

3 : efficiency apartment

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about efficiency

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Examples of efficiency in a Sentence

Because of her efficiency, we got all the work done in a few hours. The factory was operating at peak efficiency. A furnace with 80 percent fuel efficiency wastes 20 percent of its fuel. The company is trying to lower costs and improve efficiencies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Nvidia The performance and efficiency should also translate into faster and thinner laptops too. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "Nvidia reveals RTX laptop GPUs, FreeSync support for GeForce graphics cards," 7 Jan. 2019 For the 98 percent of new cars sold in America with automatic transmissions, both technologies have allowed for better fuel efficiency and performance than in years past. — Blake Z. Rong, Popular Mechanics, "10 Innovations That Made the Modern Car," 4 Dec. 2018 Both cases struck down mergers between tiny firms whose efficiency gains dwarfed any supposed social losses from increased market concentration. — Richard A. Epstein, WSJ, "‘The Curse of Bigness’ Review: Revisiting the Gilded Age," 2 Dec. 2018 Compared to the already tall task of meeting the 2.0°C goal, this effort would require even more efficiency gains to bring down total energy demand. — Scott K. Johnson, Ars Technica, "Here’s what it would take to stop climate change sooner," 8 Oct. 2018 These efficiency gains may even allow cities to replace parking space with bike lanes, pedestrian areas, or foliage. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "Why valet parking is the future of smarter urban transit," 6 Aug. 2018 But efficiency gains are notoriously harder to come by in service industries than in manufacturing ones. — Caleb Crain, The New Yorker, "Is Capitalism a Threat to Democracy?," 7 May 2018 DIYers can complete small projects around the house that help with energy efficiency. — Brett Martin, House Beautiful, "Should You DIY Or Call A Pro?," 26 Dec. 2018 They are built to make money, and consolidate enough power to keep making it — and the executives that lead them excel by doing so with ruthless efficiency. — Casey Newton, The Verge, "22 predictions for social media in 2019," 15 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'efficiency.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for efficiency

Last Updated

17 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for efficiency

The first known use of efficiency was in 1633

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More Definitions for efficiency

efficiency

noun

English Language Learners Definition of efficiency

: the ability to do something or produce something without wasting materials, time, or energy : the quality or degree of being efficient ( technical )

See the full definition for efficiency in the English Language Learners Dictionary

efficiency

noun

ef·fi·cien·cy | \ i-ˈfi-shən-sē

plural efficiencies