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efficient

[ih-fish-uhnt] / ɪˈfɪʃ ənt /


Usage

What are other ways to say efficient? The adjective efficient, when applied to a person or a thing, implies the skillful use of energy or industry to accomplish desired results with little waste of effort: efficient methods; an efficient manager. Effective is applied to a person or a thing that has the power to, or which actually does, produce an effect: an effective boss, remedy, speech. Effectual is used especially of that which produces the effect desired or intended, or a decisive result: An effectual bombardment silenced the enemy. Efficacious suggests the capability of achieving a certain end: an efficacious plan, medicine. 

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

That freed up Plum to be in position to score, setting up a much more efficient Sparks offense.

From Los Angeles Times • May 16, 2026

Finance 101 teaches us that an efficient market is forward-looking, reflecting at any given time what investors collectively expect future returns to be.

From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026

Tech workers are walking around talking to AI, pairing dictation apps with coding tools to turn rambling prompts into usable text in seconds—a process that can be both efficient and obnoxious.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

SoCs are widely used in smartphones and tablets because they are compact and energy efficient.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2026

The female security officer was brisk and efficient.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad




Vocabulary lists containing efficient


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