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
1
as in conclusiveness
the capacity to persuade
the "guilty" verdict was all the proof needed of the effectiveness of the prosecutor's closing argument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in efficacy
the power to produce a desired result
the huge upsurge in sales pretty much demonstrated the effectiveness of the new ad campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in impact
the quality of an utterance that provokes interest and produces an effect
your writing lacks effectiveness because practically every sentence is in the passive voice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of 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
Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
First thing was cost effectiveness.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Adjective
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
Noun
Chemical weed controls can lose their effectiveness in killing weeds, too, so instead of finding a solution to having fewer weeds, more problems to tackle could be created.
—Lauren David, Southern Living, 24 Oct. 2025
First thing was cost effectiveness.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for effective
Recent Examples of Synonyms for effective
Adjective
-
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
-
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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This week, the dramatic collapse of plans for Barcelona to play a La Liga game against Villarreal in Miami — first reported by The Athletic — added extra spice to the compelling and captivating Clasico.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
25 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.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This movie oozes style — and actual undead sludge, occasionally — along with Cody’s signature sense of humor.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
The once-daily, oral medication is proven to reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flashes and night sweats, based on clinical studies measuring efficacy at 4 and 12 weeks.—
Marnie Goodfriend,
Flow Space,
29 Oct. 2025
-
If there were, there’d be safety in numbers and a sense of efficacy.—
Michael Shank,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The organization’s Green Heart Project, which studies the impact of better air quality on heart disease through urban greening, has found that increasing the number of trees and shrubs in an area can create lower levels of a blood marker associated with inflammation.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Experts bemoan the loneliness epidemic and its impact on youth, mental health, longevity, and chronic pain.—
Joni Eareckson Tada,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
But still, 10 days with no real food suuuuuuuuuuuucks.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Inspired by real life, much of her work serves as testimony.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The new visa aims to loosen restrictions and enhance China’s global appeal, promising more generous terms such as longer validity periods and multiple entries.—
Peter Guo,
NBC news,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Hoskins last week attempted to cast doubt on the validity of roughly 100,00 signatures gathered by the campaign.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Effective.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effective. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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