efficiency
noun
Simple meaning
Getting results with as little wasted time, effort or money as possible.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ihfishuhnseeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɪˈfɪʃənsi
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The extent to which a resource is used for the intended purpose.
The extent to which time is well used for the intended task.
engineeringphysics
The ratio of useful work to energy expended. Often given the symbol η.
us
A one-room apartment.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- General English
More ways to use efficiency
- “She did the work with great efficiency.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A furnished apartment with a kitchenette and bathroom.
An expert in increasing the efficient use of machines and personnel.
An expert in increasing the efficient use of machines and personnel.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Antonyms
Sense: extent to which a resource is used for the intended purpose
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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.