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Origin and history of effective

effective(adj.)

late 14c., "serving to effect the intended purpose," from Old French effectif, from Latin effectivus "productive, effective," from effect-, stem of efficere "work out, accomplish" (see effect (n.)). Of military forces, "fit for action or duty," from 1680s.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to effective

effect(n.)

mid-14c., "execution or completion (of an act)," from Old French efet (13c., Modern French effet) "result, execution, completion, ending," from Latin effectus "accomplishment, performance," from past participle stem of efficere "work out, accomplish." This is from assimilated form of ex "out" (see ex-) + combining form of facere "to make, to do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). From French, borrowed into Dutch, German, Scandinavian.

From late 14c. as "power or capacity to produce an intended result; efficacy, effectiveness," and in astrology, "operation or action (of a heavenly body) on human affairs; influence." Also "that which follows from something else; a consequence, a result."

From early 15c. as "intended result, purpose, object, intent." Also formerly with a sense of "reality, fact," hence in effect (late 14c.), originally "in fact, actually, really." The meaning "impression produced on the beholder" is from 1736. The sense in stage effect, sound effect, etc. is attested by 1881.

cost-effective(adj.)

also cost effective, 1967, from cost (n.) + effective.

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effectual
"producing an effect; having power to produce an effect," late 14c., Old French effectuel, from Late Latin effectualis, from Latin effectus "accomplishment, performance" (see effect (n.)). Used properly of actions (not agents) and with a sense "having the effect aimed at" (effect
efficient
late 14c., "making, producing immediate effect, active, effective," from Old French efficient and directly from Latin efficientem (nominative efficiens) "effective, efficient, producing, active," present participle of efficere "work out, accomplish," from assimilated form of ex "
good
Old English gōd (with a long "o") "excellent, fine; valuable; desirable, favorable, beneficial; full, entire, complete;" of abstractions, actions, etc., "beneficial, effective; righteous, pious;" of persons or souls, "righteous, pious, virtuous;" probably originally "having the r
drastic
1690s, originally of medicines, "forceful, vigorous," especially in effect on bowels, from Greek drastikos "effective, efficacious...
incisive
early 15c., inscisif, "slashing, cutting with a sharp edge," from Old French incisif (medical) "invasive, effective," and...
emancipation
Specifically with reference to U.S. slavery from 1785 (the Emancipation Proclamation was issued July 22, 1862, effective...
agent
late 15c., "one who acts," from Latin agentem (nominative agens) "effective, powerful," present participle of agere "to set...
force
c. 1300, "physical strength," from Old French force "force, strength; courage, fortitude; violence, power, compulsion" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fortia (source also of Old Spanish forzo, Spanish fuerza, Italian forza), noun use of neuter plural of Latin fortis "strong, mighty; f
club
c. 1200, "thick stick wielded in the hand and used as a weapon," from Old Norse klubba "cudgel" or a similar Scandinavian source (compare Swedish klubba, Danish klubbe), assimilated from Proto-Germanic *klumbon and related to clump (n.). Old English words for this were sagol, cyc
inspire
mid-14c., enspiren, "to fill (the mind, heart, etc., with grace, etc.);" also "to prompt or induce (someone to do something)," from Old French enspirer (13c.), from Latin inspirare "blow into, breathe upon," figuratively "inspire, excite, inflame," from in- "in" (from PIE root *e

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