VocabauraVOCABAURA

effective

adjective

Simple meaning

Working well and producing the result you wanted.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

ihfehktiv

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ɪˈfɛktɪv

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

adjective

  1. Producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect

    “An air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford.”

  2. Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.

  3. Producing a decided or decisive effect.

  4. Efficient, serviceable, or operative, available for useful work.

  5. Actually in effect.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
A1 · Beginner (estimated)
Frequency
Very Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect

Used this way, effective is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“An air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use effective

  • “An air-cooled motor was more effective than a witch's broomstick for rapid long-distance transportation"-LewisMumford.”adjective

Share your sentence

Write your own example sentence using “effective”. We review each one before it appears.

Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

Producing

effective meanseffective controleffective treatment

Other combinations

less effectiveeffective datehighly effectiveeffective methodeffective communication

Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.

Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • effectual

    Producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect.

  • impressive

    Capable of being impressed.

  • operational

    Effective or operative.

  • operative

    Producing the appropriate or designed effect.

Word Family

Related forms, grouped by how they connect.

Word family

Words built from the same root.

  • effectornounPerson or profession

    One who brings about a result or event.

  • effectivelyadverbDerived adverb

    In an effective manner.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: producing or capable of producing an intended result

operativetelling

Antonyms

Sense: producing or capable of producing an intended result

ineffectualineffective

Say it better

Looking for a more precise alternative? “effective” can mean several things.

excellentsolideffectivekinddecent

Explore better ways to say “effective”

Use This Word

See how this word sounds in a real sentence.

Ask Vocabaura

Understand the word your way.

What Does It Mean Here?

Words can change meaning depending on context.

Use it yourself

Knowing “effective” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.

Know the meaning? Practice using it in a real situation, free, no credits.

Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.