ineffective

adjective

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in·ef·fec·tive | \ ˌi-nə-ˈfek-tiv

Definition of ineffective

1 : not producing an intended effect : ineffectual ineffective lighting

2 : not capable of performing efficiently or as expected : incapable an ineffective executive

Other Words from ineffective Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about ineffective

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Examples of ineffective in a Sentence

The treatment was ineffective against the disease. an ineffective effort to reduce unemployment that only spurred inflation

Recent Examples on the Web The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have a 5-10% risk of being ineffective. — Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, "Fayetteville public health officer answers readers' questions related to covid-19 vaccinations," 27 Feb. 2021 Yet when the company tested the effectiveness of five different messages aimed at persuading respondents to get a Covid-19 vaccine, those emphasizing safety were ineffective at best and, at worst, made people less likely to get vaccinated. — Jo Craven Mcginty, WSJ, "In Covid-19 Vaccine Surveys, the Wording Affects the Results," 26 Feb. 2021 If the target is too obvious, it almost certainly will have been tried before by other researchers, and there may be existing drugs that act on it, or there may already be evidence proving the target is ineffective. — Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, "Startup says A.I. helped it find treatment for rare lung disease in record time," 24 Feb. 2021 But even the most protective conservation laws are ineffective without adequate enforcement, funding, and international coordination, says Joaquim Garrabou, a leading red-coral researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) in Barcelona. — Autumn Spanne, The Atlantic, "The Mediterranean’s Red Gold Is Running Out," 24 Feb. 2021 Paul Kolbe, former chief of the CIA’s Russian operations, said sanctions with Russia have generally been ineffective. — Author: Ellen Nakashima, Anchorage Daily News, "Biden administration to sanction Russia for SolarWinds hacks and poisoning of opposition leader," 23 Feb. 2021 The problem is in many cases, counterspeech is ineffective. — Star Tribune, "Must freedom of speech include the freedom to lie?," 15 Feb. 2021 Yet the idea that these drugs are ineffective was so engrained that many comments included. — Paul Monach, STAT, "The hazards of medicine by tweet: the case of anti-cytokine therapy for Covid-19," 12 Feb. 2021 In 2011, Walton filed an unsuccessful writ with help from his cellmate, arguing that his trial attorney was ineffective and there was insufficient evidence to sustain the guilty verdict. — Jessica Priest, USA Today, "Moonlighting prosecutor sent Texas man to death row; 17 years later, he could get a new trial," 4 Feb. 2021

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