efficient
/ɪˈfɪʃənt/
Word Rarity
Uncommon
Frequency: 4.42 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Making good, thorough, or careful use of resources; not consuming extra. Especially, making good use of time or energy.
adj
Expressing the proportion of consumed energy that was successfully used in a process; the ratio of useful output to total input.
adj
Causing effects, producing results; bringing into being; initiating change (rare except in philosophical and legal expression efficient cause = causative factor or agent).
adj
Example Sentences
- "An efficient process would automate all the routine work."
- "Our cleaners are almost too efficient: they throw away anything left out on a desk."
- "An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic[…]real kidneys[…]. But they are nothing like as efficient, and can cause bleeding, clotting and infection—not to mention inconvenience for patients, who typically need to be hooked up to one three times a week for hours at a time."
- "The motor is only 20% efficient at that temperature."
- "Ownership, maintenance, or use of the automobile need not be the direct and efficient cause of the injury sustained"
- "It was well said of Plotinus, that the stars were significant, but not efficient."
Etymology
1398, “making,” from Old French, from Latin efficientem, nominative efficiēns, participle of efficere (“work out, accomplish”) (see effect). Meaning “productive, skilled” is from 1787. Efficiency apartment is first recorded 1930, American English.
Origin
- Source language: Old French
Word Breakdown
- Root: *dʰeh₁-, -, efficientem
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
- British English: /ɪˈfɪʃənt/