Effective or Efficient – How to Use Each Correctly
What is the Difference Between Effective and Efficient?
Contents
Effective and efficient both start with the same spelling, and have similar pronunciations. Their definitions are also related. However, there are important distinctions between the two words which make it incorrect to interchange them.
Effective is an adjective which means works or functions.
- This medicine is very effective at reducing the symptoms of the common cold.
Efficient is also an adjective. It means functions without wasting time or some other resource.
- This car has a fuel-efficient design. It gets 73 miles to the gallon!
Let’s go over the specific ways to use each of these terms so you don’t mix them up.
Using Effective in a Sentence
When to use effective: Effective is an adjective that means adequate to perform a function or to do something in a manner that accomplishes the goal well.
For example,
- You always yell at your mother when you don’t get your way. However, this never changes anything. It doesn’t seem like an effective way of dealing with conflict.
- Exercise and a healthy diet are proven to be the most effective ways to lose weight.
This word is fairly academic, so it is more common in formal contexts than in conversational ones. One other meaning is going into effect on a certain date or at a certain time.
Using Efficient in a Sentence
When to use efficient: Efficient is an adjective that means capable of doing something without wasting effort or resources.
For example:
- Copying the book’s text word for word is not an efficient way to study. It would save time and effort if you only copied the most important facts.
- You are doing that the hard way. It will take you too long to carry all your boxes into the house one by one. If you use this cart to wheel multiple boxes to your house at the same time it will be much more efficient.
It is common for people to describe something as both effective and efficient. For that reason, effective is one of the top collocations for efficient. Other common collocations include energy efficient and fuel efficient.
Remembering Effective vs. Efficient
These words can be hard to keep straight, since they share similar Latin roots and both describe doing something in a positive way. However, you can use the spelling of each to remember which is which.
Effective contains the word effect within itself. This can remind you that effective means to do something that results in a good effect. It also ends in tive, like productive. Both effective and productive refer to something working well.
Efficient ends in cient, just like proficient, sufficient, and omniscient. Someone who was omniscient would be very good at doing things in an efficient way that made the best use of time.
Outside Examples
- After discussing options with my wife, we came to the conclusion that the best thing for our family now would be for me to tender my resignation effective today, December 8th, 2017,” Franks, R-Ariz., said in a statement. –USA Today
- Pope Francis is calling for a world without nuclear arms and for effective measures to combat climate change. –Washington Post
- A strong crusader for the environment, Francis also expressed hope that people will realize the “need to adopt truly efficient decisions to fight climate change” while also combating poverty. –Houston Chronicle
- The 38-year-old McCown has been among the NFL’s most efficient passers. –Denver Post
Quiz: Effective vs. Efficient
Instructions: Fill in the blank with the correct word, either effective or efficient.
- I think gas heating is more _______________ than electric heating since it wastes less energy. It’s also more _____________ because it heats the house better.
- This medicine isn’t ____________ at all. I’m starting to think it’s a placebo.
- Making a daily plan can help you to save time and be more ______________ by getting things done more quickly.
- I prefer driving to flying, but flying is much more _________________ in terms of time saved.
- Nothing beats meditation as a way to limit stress. It’s incredibly _______________ and works for almost everyone.
Article Summary
Should I use effective or efficient? Despite all the similarities between these two terms, they have different definitions,
- Effective is an adjective that means works in a way that accomplishes the purpose.
- Efficient is an adjective that means works in a way that limits waste of any kind.
Use the information from this article to ensure you never get confused about these two words again.
Quiz Answers
- efficient, effective
- effective
- efficient
- efficient
- effective