Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

effective

1. ef.fec.tive \i-'fek-tiv\ aj 1a: producing a decided, decisive, or 
   desired effect  1b: IMPRESSIVE, STRIKING  2: ready for service or action  
   3: ACTUAL  4: being in effect : OPERATIVE  emphasizes the actual production 
   of an effect when in use or in force; EFFECTUAL suggests the decisive 
   accomplishment of a result or fulfillment of an intention; EFFICIENT 
   suggests having given proof of power to produce result, esp. the 
   achievement of maximum result with minimum effort; EFFICACIOUS implies 
   possession of a special quality or virtue giving effective power - 
   ef.fec.tive.ly av SYN syn EFFECTUAL, EFFICIENT, EFFICACIOUS: EFFECTIVE 
2. effective n : one that is effective; esp : a soldier equipped for duty