Effective-Efficient | Commonly Confused Words
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Effective vs. Efficient

Effective

/ɪˈfektɪv/
Something that produces a desired or intended result

Examples:

It is a simple but effective ruse.'The secret to effective time management is.What makes pomodoro so effective?

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Efficient

/ɪˈfɪʃənt/
Working well without wasting time, energy, or resources

Examples:

'Our police force has been very efficient in capturing the murderer.The process proved efficient.Anyway, he was there, swinging a dashed efficient shoe.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Effective is about doing the right things to achieve a goal.
  • Efficient is about doing things in a way that consumes the least resources or time.
  • Think of efficient as being synonymous with optimization, while effective focuses on achieving desired outcomes.
  • If you are effective, you have achieved your target; if you are efficient, you did it with minimum waste.
  • Effective does not necessarily mean efficient, and vice versa.
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