1
as in efficient
producing or capable of producing a desired result
an effective treatment of the once-dreaded disease gave an effective speech that won over many undecided voters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in compelling
having the power to persuade
made an effective argument in favor of the proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in actual
existing in fact and not merely as a possibility
made the mistake of confusing the plant's production capacity with its effective output
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of effective
The design is simple yet effective, with zippered hand pockets, thumbholes, an adjustable hem, and a chin guard built into the hood.
—
Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2025
The problem comes when ideological casting choices begin to undermine the narrative, contravening Grisham’s famously effective structure and pacing.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The film follows a recovering addict in an isolated Serbian monastery whose Orthodox patriarch employs unorthodox methods that are often more extreme than effective at getting results.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Stores, offices and industrial facilities are assessed at 25% of their market value in Cook County, while homes are assessed at 10%, resulting in commercial properties here paying some of the highest effective tax rates in the country.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Anne Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 5 Sep. 2025
The problem comes when ideological casting choices begin to undermine the narrative, contravening Grisham’s famously effective structure and pacing.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025
The film follows a recovering addict in an isolated Serbian monastery whose Orthodox patriarch employs unorthodox methods that are often more extreme than effective at getting results.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025
Stores, offices and industrial facilities are assessed at 25% of their market value in Cook County, while homes are assessed at 10%, resulting in commercial properties here paying some of the highest effective tax rates in the country.
—A.d. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effective
Adjective
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And there are lots of other authorities that can be used—not as efficient, not as powerful.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
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Beck had an efficient first game in a Miami uniform, going 20-of-31 for 205 yards and two touchdown passes with zero interceptions.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.—
Daniel S. Levine,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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By the '90s, hip-hop cemented itself as a mainstream mainstay, and the artists' compelling music videos brought the culture to new heights.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Then there’s what’s inside the actual soup.—
Shindy Chen,
Charlotte Observer,
5 Sep. 2025
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This model ensures that the people most affected by these issues have actual input rather than just serving as inspirational case studies.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For his part, Law, who will premiere his own film this week, provided an excellently convincing argument in the fiery northern Mediterranean man-fashion white-dinner-jacket debate that a double-breasted’s peaked lapels should each properly be the dimension of an aircraft carrier deck.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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Week 1 will tell us a lot about both teams, but a convincing win for the Bills could truly cement them as the team to beat in the AFC.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani offered a different interpretation of the ongoing dilemma, saying that jury nullification is a real possibility, especially when politics is involved.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
4 Sep. 2025
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First, the Chavist regime of Nicolás Maduro is not operating like a real state or even a classic dictatorship.—
Kristina Foltz,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The geranium and the gingko tree yield data but no conclusive results.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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But there are some good supporting turns, starting with Henry, Tony’s main Interpol contact, who appears from early episodes to be a good guy the leads are mistaking for a bad guy, although nothing is completely conclusive there right away.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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OpenAI also says there is a 45 percent to 65 percent reduction in factual errors over GPT-4, depending on the setting, as well as substantial gains in handling medical and coding tasks on industry-standard benchmarks.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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In the ruling, Southwick emphasized that while presidents enjoy wide discretion under the AEA, the courts retain authority to interpret the statute’s key terms and decide whether the factual findings fit within them.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Reese wants to skip through the rebuilding process, but doing so has already put Chicago in a position in which building a stronger talent base is going to be much more difficult.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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Speaking to the crowd before the march, Eve Devitt, an Idaho human rights activist, said that LGBTQ+ history is built on fighting for rights, which makes the community stronger.—
Shannon Tyler,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effective. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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