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
If medications aren't effective, other options may include Botox injections into the bladder wall or nerve stimulation therapy.
—
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 25 Oct. 2025
The human body holds several effective hiding spots that some of the world's nastiest viruses have discovered - like the eyes and the testes - that are beyond the reach of the immune system.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The Mavericks faced some significant public criticism over this decision, with many arguing Flagg would be more effective as an off-ball slasher.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The sleeps are short but effective.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Lindsay Curtis, Health, 25 Oct. 2025
The human body holds several effective hiding spots that some of the world's nastiest viruses have discovered - like the eyes and the testes - that are beyond the reach of the immune system.
—NPR, 24 Oct. 2025
The Mavericks faced some significant public criticism over this decision, with many arguing Flagg would be more effective as an off-ball slasher.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
The sleeps are short but effective.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effective
Adjective
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Upcycling solid wastes This technique provides a versatile, scalable, and efficient strategy for upcycling solid wastes into high-performance materials for environmental and energy catalysis, as per the study.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
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Many restaurants already outsourced their human resources or legal or design to third parties; outsourcing delivery just seemed efficient.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Beto and Thierno Barry have scored one league goal between them and neither has made a compelling case for regular starts.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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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.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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This movie oozes style — and actual undead sludge, occasionally — along with Cody’s signature sense of humor.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
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Spoken shade amongst the group is as plentiful as actual shade is absent in LA’s concrete desert, and the trio tosses it around with the casual dominance of Shohei Ohtani.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The least convincing aspect of the show is the conspiracy itself, which seems oversimplified for a scandal of its magnitude.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
29 Oct. 2025
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The woman in question appears to be none other than Cinda herself — or a convincing doppelgänger — setting up a mystery that will take OMITB full circle as the trio solves the murder of the person who brought them together in the first place.—
Sabienna Bowman,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But still, 10 days with no real food suuuuuuuuuuuucks.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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Inspired by real life, much of her work serves as testimony.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers further explain that the discovery of microscopic deformation features in quartz provides conclusive proof that the Jinlin crater was formed by an asteroid impact.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement What the NFL changed to reduce injuries In recent years, as research about CTE has become more conclusive, some sports leagues have begun to concede that head impacts are a problem.—
Alana Semuels,
Time,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In factual, the slate includes Bolivian prison doc Inside Out, which goes inside the walls of the notorious San Pedro prison, run by inmates.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
29 Oct. 2025
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The outlet also identified multiple factual errors.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Smith said Thursday in a news release that Stubblefield leaves behind a legacy of strong, principled leadership.—
Ella McCarthy,
Arkansas Online,
31 Oct. 2025
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Toklas went on to fiercely uphold the author’s legacy, honoring Stein’s apparent desire to be understood while at the same time respecting her equally strong wish to remain elusive.—
Daphne Merkin,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effective. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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