Keep Me Off Disability: Efficient

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Efficient

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efficient adjective

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ef·fi·cient | \ i-ˈfi-shənt \

Essential Meaning of efficient

: capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy

an efficient worker

efficient machinery

Full Definition of efficient

1: productive of desired effects

especially : capable of producing desired results with little or no waste (as of time or materials)

an efficient worker

efficient machinery

2: being or involving the immediate agent in producing an effect

the efficient action of heat in changing water to steam

Synonyms & Antonyms

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Comparing Efficient, Effective, and Proficient

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Synonyms & Antonyms for efficient

Synonyms

effective, effectual, efficacious, fruitful, operative, potent, productive

Antonyms

fruitless, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, inoperative, unfruitful, unproductive, uselessVisit the Thesaurus for More

Choose the Right Synonym for efficient

EFFECTIVE, EFFECTUAL, EFFICIENT, EFFICACIOUS mean producing or capable of producing a result. EFFECTIVE stresses the actual production of or the power to produce an effect. an effective rebuttal EFFECTUAL suggests the accomplishment of a desired result especially as viewed after the fact. the measures to stop the pilfering proved effectual EFFICIENT suggests an acting or a potential for action or use in such a way as to avoid loss or waste of energy in effecting, producing, or functioning. an efficient small car EFFICACIOUS suggests possession of a special quality or virtue that gives effective power. a detergent that is efficacious in removing grease

Comparing Efficient, Effective, and Proficient

These three words cover some overlapping territory.

Efficient most often describes what is capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy. While the word can be applied to both people and things, it is far more commonly applied to things, such as machines, systems, processes, and organizations. The focus of the word is on how little is wasted or lost while the desired results are produced.

Effective typically describes things—such as policies, treatments, arguments, and techniques—that do what they are intended to do. People can also be described as effective when they accomplish what they set out to accomplish, but the word is far more often applied to things.

Proficient typically describes people, and it often is followed by the preposition at. If you are proficient at something, you are very good at it. You are, in fact, so good at doing it that you are unusually efficient when you do it. One can also be proficient in something, such as a language.

Examples of efficient in a Sentence

Like a page-turner of a novel, [Nomar] Garciaparra keeps you eager to see what comes next, especially this season, when he will have the most efficient RBI machine in baseball, free-agent signee Manny Ramirez, riding shotgun with him.

— Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 5 Mar. 2001

Short and muscular, he is as efficient as a surgeon, cracking eggs with one hand and tossing the shells into the basket under the counter behind him without looking, flipping bread into the slots of a row of toasters, and literally throwing "to go" orders ten feet down the counter to the guy manning the cash register.

— Paul Baumann, Commonweal, 18 July 1997

Recent Examples on the Web

Fun and fluid, the new interface animations and transitions are also more energy-efficient.

— Julian Chokkattu, Wired, 17 Nov. 2021

Eric Paschall just hasn’t been as efficient in scoring as Georges Niang was.

— Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Nov. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'efficient.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of efficient

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for efficient

Middle English, "active, immediate (of a cause)," borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin efficient-, efficiens "producing or giving rise to something, immediate (of a cause), active," from present participle of efficere "to make, bring about, produce, carry out" — more at EFFECT entry 1

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Time Traveler for efficient

The first known use of efficient was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near efficient

efficiency expert

efficient

efficient cause

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Last Updated

26 Nov 2021

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Top 1% of words

Cite this Entry

“Efficient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/efficient. Accessed 28 Nov. 2021.

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ElMahdiAderbaz

7y ago

I am efficient

1 reply

MohaLish

9y ago

efficient woman with a love of order, purity, and cleanliness.

EarlAlvinJamesLaurora

8y ago

sf lng dpat dictionary nah..

hahahahahaha...

xDD lng p0e nkakatu0ng tlga ang Dictionary... :)

1 reply

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More Definitions for efficient

efficient adjective

ef·fi·cient | \ i-ˈfi-shənt \

Kids Definition of efficient

: capable of bringing about a desired result with little waste (as of time or energy)

an efficient worker

Other Words from efficient

efficiently adverb

Keep Me Off Disability

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Efficient

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