Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - effective

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. Something that is effective works well and produces the results that were intended. The project looks at how we could be more effective in encouraging students to enter teacher training... Simple antibiotics are effective against this organism... ...an effective public transport system. ADJ: oft ADJ in -ing, ADJ against n • effectively ...the team roles which you believe to be necessary for the team to function effectively... Services need to be more effectively organised than they are at present. ADV: usu ADV after v, also ADV -ed • effectiveness ...the effectiveness of computers as an educational tool. N-UNCOUNT: oft N of n 2. Effective means having a particular role or result in practice, though not officially or in theory. They have had effective control of the area since the security forces left. ADJ: ADJ n 3. When something such as a law or an agreement becomes effective, it begins officially to apply or be valid. The new rules will become effective in the next few days. ADJ: v-link ADJ