efficient

adjective ef·fi·cient \ i-ˈfi-shənt \

Definition of efficient

1 :being or involving the immediate agent in producing an effect

the efficient action of heat in changing water to steam

2 :productive of desired effects; especially :productive without waste

an efficient worker

—

efficiently

adverb

See efficient defined for English-language learners

See efficient defined for kids

Examples of efficient in a Sentence

Like a page-turner of a novel, [Nomar] Garciaparra keeps you eager to see what comes next, especially this season, when he will have the most efficient RBI machine in baseball, free-agent signee Manny Ramirez, riding shotgun with him. —Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 5 Mar. 2001
Short and muscular, he is as efficient as a surgeon, cracking eggs with one hand and tossing the shells into the basket under the counter behind him without looking, flipping bread into the slots of a row of toasters, and literally throwing "to go" orders ten feet down the counter to the guy manning the cash register. —Paul Baumann, Commonweal, 18 July 1997
Wilde was wearing two emeralds, … one on the little finger of each hand. That on the left was the efficient cause of all joys, that on the right of misfortunes. Asked why he continued to wear the one on the right, Wilde said, "One needs misfortunes to live happily." —Richard Ellmann, Oscar Wilde, (1984) 1988
Originally designed for the preparation of desserts, the woks eventually proved their versatility as efficient vessels for stir-frying, deep-frying, and the reduction of liquids. —Kemp Miles Minifie, Gourmet, November 1988
that manual lawn mower is not a very efficient tool for doing a huge yard

Recent Examples of efficient from the Web

That's a lot of kid talk for one episode, and screenwriters are usually beyond efficient with their dialogue—

— krystin arneson, Glamour, "This 'Game of Thrones' Fan Theory About Daenerys Getting Pregnant Actually Makes a Ton of Sense," 26 Aug. 2017
Platooning happens when trucks drive close to each other at efficient, high speeds, using technology to brake simultaneously.

— chrissie thompson, Cincinnati.com, "Could Ohio win 4,000-job Toyota-Mazda plant?," 17 Aug. 2017
There are many factors in play—the city’s getting bigger and denser, more young folks are driving less or relying on transit, bikes, and ride-shares to get around, and cars are becoming more fuel-efficient.

— neal broverman, Los Angeles Magazine, "Developers Have Uncovered a Brilliant Use for LA’s Old Gas Stations," 16 Aug. 2017
At Wired UK, Hayley Campbell explores this process of water cremation, which a growing number of advocates is calling a cleaner, more efficient, and ultimately less expensive alternative to burial and traditional cremation.

— cheri lucas rowlands, Longreads, "What the Future of Death Looks Like," 16 Aug. 2017
Thompson countered that new data-collection programs, which were meant to be more efficient and less expensive over the long run, had been underestimated in previous tallies.

— nathan howard, Bloomberg.com, "Lawmakers Raise Alarm Over U.S. Census Preparations, Leadership," 15 Aug. 2017
And folks at the top have to know the difference between quality and cost-efficient mediocrity and not blame the lack of events like a nightclub attack.

— vanityfair.com, "Stephen Miller’s Tour de Farce," 3 Aug. 2017
But that outrage was swiftly swept under the rug by a combination of efficient Planned Parenthood PR and the complicit mainstream media.

— alexandra desanctis, National Review, "Defunding Planned Parenthood Isn’t Enough," 28 July 2017
Farmers can purchase vats of nematodes to spray in their fields as a chemical pesticide alternative, thanks to researchers who are figuring out efficient ways to mass produce these bugs in the lab.

— kyle frischkorn, Smithsonian, "Meet the Supervillain Worm That Gets By With a Little Help From Its Friends," 26 July 2017

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

Comparing efficient, effective, and proficient

These three words cover some overlapping territory.

Efficient most often describes what is capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy. While the word can be applied to both people and things, it is far more commonly applied to things, such as machines, systems, processes, and organizations. The focus of the word is on how little is wasted or lost while the desired results are produced.

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 when they accomplish what they set out to accomplish, but the word is far more often applied to things.

Proficient typically describes people, and it often is followed by the preposition at. If you are proficient at something, you are very good at it. You are, in fact, so good at doing it that you are unusually efficient when you do it. One can also be proficient in something, such as a language.

Origin and Etymology of efficient

Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin efficient-, efficiens, from present participle of efficere

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

efficient Synonyms

Synonyms

effectual, efficacious, effective, fruitful, operative, potent, productive

Synonym Discussion of efficient

effective, effectual, efficient, efficacious mean producing or capable of producing a result. effective stresses the actual production of or the power to produce an effect.

- an effective rebuttal

effectual suggests the accomplishment of a desired result especially as viewed after the fact.

- the measures to stop the pilfering proved effectual

efficient suggests an acting or a potential for action or use in such a way as to avoid loss or waste of energy in effecting, producing, or functioning.