effective

1. 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”

   “effective teaching methods”

   “effective steps toward peace”

   “made an effective entrance”

   “his complaint proved to be effectual in bringing action”

   “an efficacious law”

   Synonymseffectualefficacious

   Antonymsineffective

   Similarhard-hittingimpellingimpressiverough-and-ready
2. 2.

   able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively

   “people who will do nothing unless they get something out of it for themselves are often highly effective persons...”

   “effective personnel”

   “an efficient secretary”

   “the efficient cause of the revolution”

   Synonymsefficient

   Similarcompetent
3. 3.

   works well as a means or remedy

   “an effective reprimand”

   “a lotion that is effective in cases of prickly heat”

   Similarefficacious
4. 4.

   exerting force or influence

   “the law is effective immediately”

   “a warranty good for two years”

   “the law is already in effect (or in force)”

   Synonymsgoodin effectin force

   Similaroperative
5. 5.

   existing in fact; not theoretical; real

   “a decline in the effective demand”

   “confused increased equipment and expenditure with the quantity of effective work done”

   Similaractual
6. 6.

   ready for service

   “the fort was held by about 100 effective soldiers”

   Similaroperational

   military

Questions about effective

What does effective mean?

effective means "producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect". That is the primary sense; the word has 6 in total, listed in full on this page.

How many syllables are in effective?

effective has 3 syllables: ef-fec-tive. The stress falls on "fec". In IPA it is /ɪˈfɛktɪv/.

What is another word for effective?

Close synonyms include effectual, efficacious, efficient, good, in effect. Each sense on this page lists its own synonyms, because a word with several meanings rarely has one substitute that works for all of them.

What is the opposite of effective?

The recorded antonyms are ineffective.

Is effective a common word?

effective is banded "Common" — everyday vocabulary in speech and writing. The band comes from how often the word appears in a large corpus of everyday English, not from an editor's impression.

What rhymes with effective?

4 words rhyme with effective. Rhymes are matched on the phonemes from the last stressed vowel onward, which is the definition a reader has in their head.