Effective

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɪˈfɛktɪv/

Definitions

1. Producing the intended or expected result; successful in achieving a desired outcome
2. Dutifully achieving the desired results with success
3. Capable of bringing about a specific result or goal as planned or wished

Etymology: The word "effective" arrived in English from French "effectif," which itself came from the Latin "effectīvus," meaning "productive" or "effective." Latin "efficere," "to bring about," is the root: it combines "ex-," "out," with "facere," "to make" or "do." Its past participle "effectus" gave English the noun "effect," so "effective" is simply "effect" plus the adjectival suffix "-ive," meaning "tending to do something." The Latin sense carried over closely. Something effective was one that produced the result it was meant to produce, and that is still the core meaning today. The word's Latin ancestor therefore described action and outcome rather than any quality of the thing itself.

Synonyms: efficient, successful, powerful

Antonyms: ineffective, unproductive