efficient

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ UK /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #6711

Meanings

1

adj
Working well without wasting time, effort, or money.

An efficient process would automate all the routine work.
2

adj
Using only as much energy or resources as needed.

The motor is only 20% efficient at that temperature.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · working well without... effective

More economical efficacious potent

Opposites

inefficient prodigal uneconomical

Word family

Forms efficients

Derived forms cost-efficientecoefficientefficientlyefficientnessenergy-efficientequiefficienthyperefficientnonefficientsubefficientsuperefficienttax-efficientultraefficient

Related forms effect effective effectiveness effectivity effector effectual effectuate efficacious efficacity efficacy efficiency excellent

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.

*dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European efficientem Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# efficient

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
**Frequency rank:** 6711

## Meanings
1. Working well without wasting time, effort, or money.
2. Using only as much energy or resources as needed.

## Examples
- An efficient process would automate all the routine work.
- The motor is only 20% efficient at that temperature.

## Synonyms
- economical
- efficacious
- potent

## Antonyms
- inefficient
- prodigal
- uneconomical

## Derived Forms
- cost-efficient
- ecoefficient
- efficiently
- efficientness
- energy-efficient
- equiefficient
- hyperefficient
- nonefficient
- subefficient
- superefficient
- tax-efficient
- ultraefficient

## Related Forms
- effect
- effective
- effectiveness
- effectivity
- effector
- effectual
- effectuate
- efficacious
- efficacity
- efficacy
- efficiency
- excellent

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰeh₁-
- Root: efficientem

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Efficient: 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. In current use, the main senses are “Working well without wasting time, effort, or money” and “Using only as much energy or resources as needed”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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