efficiency

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noun ef·fi·cien·cy \ i-ˈfi-shən-sē \

Definition of efficiency

plural efficiencies

1 :the quality or degree of being efficient

2 a :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

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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 of efficiency from the Web

However, one value driver that we often do see overlooked is efficiency.

— tom cooney and crystal faulkner, Cincinnati.com, "Businesswise: For those selling a business, efficiency is a plus," 17 Aug. 2017
In such countries as Japan and Denmark, robotics and advanced automation have created solid jobs while increasing efficiencies for manufacturers.

— christopher s. rugaber, The Seattle Times, "High-tech US plants offer jobs even as the laid-off struggle," 15 Aug. 2017
More school boards are rushing to approve projects while the energy efficiency exemption still exists.

— jsonline.com, "Energy-related taxes collected by Wisconsin school districts 2009-2017," 7 Aug. 2017
The area already accounts for nearly 10 percent of the city’s tax base, but its growth is blocked by restrictive rules and an accretion of office buildings that have outlived their economic efficiency.

— justin davidson, Daily Intelligencer, "The Megatowers Are Coming to East Midtown," 28 July 2017
In the 1970s and ’80s, a group of University of Chicago scholars upended antitrust law by arguing that the benefits of economic efficiency created by mergers outweighed any concerns over company size.

— paula dwyer, Bloomberg.com, "Should America’s Tech Giants Be Broken Up?," 20 July 2017
No wonder: Brazil ranks a miserable 117th out of 138 countries on labour-market efficiency, according to the World Economic Forum.

— The Economist, "Bye-bye, BenitoAn overhaul of Brazilian labour law should spur job creation," 20 July 2017
The fact is that, for most hybrid vehicles on the market today, the electrical component is a modification of the internal combustion engine designed solely to improve the fuel efficiency.

— ed wallace, star-telegram, "Evolution of an auto news story," 14 July 2017
The drive for efficiency, along with lower gas prices, has driven the average break-even operating cost on thermal oil sands to less than $10 a barrel from about $15 in 2014, Birn said.

— robert tuttle, Bloomberg.com, "Oil Sands Help Shale Stymie OPEC's Effort to Rebalance Market," 13 July 2017

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.

First Known Use of efficiency

1633

efficiency Synonyms

Synonyms

edge, effectiveness, effectualness, efficaciousness, efficacity, efficacy, productiveness

Antonyms

ineffectiveness, ineffectuality, ineffectualness, inefficiency

Related Words

ability, capability, capacity; potency, puissance, strength

Near Antonyms

inability, inadequacy, inadequateness, incompetence, incompetency

EFFICIENCY Defined for English Language Learners

efficiency

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noun

Definition of efficiency for English Language Learners

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