Effectuall

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Done completely or brought about successfully ; causing the desired or intended outcome
2. Achieved or caused to happen as planned ; having the power to bring about a specific effect
3. Carried into effect or fulfilled in practice ; yielding the result that was aimed for

Etymology: "Effectuall" is simply an older spelling of "effectual," which has been in English since the Middle Ages. The double "l" reflects the Latin and French spellings of the period, and English writers used it freely until spelling settled into the single-"l" form in the centuries that followed. The word came into Middle English from Old French "effectuel," which in turn drew on the Late Latin "effectualis," formed from "effectus," meaning "accomplishment" or "result." That Latin root goes back to "efficere," "to bring about," built from "ex-" and "facere," "to make" or "to do." So the word's core idea has always been making something happen, and an effectual act is one that actually produces the result it was aimed at.

Synonyms: effective, efficient

Antonyms: ineffective