Skip to main content
efficient

efficient

424 3.0
Able to do tasks well and quickly without wasting time or energy
  • adjective
  • /ɪˈfɪʃənt/
translation icon : eficiente
  • By using energy-saving bulbs, we made our home more efficient and reduced our electricity bill.
  • more efficient
  • efficient and effective
  • cost-efficient

The primary one of which is how efficient are my algorithms?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • The staff was precise, efficient and fast.

  • Wow, that is a more efficient way to pay for drinks.

  • And this is very efficient and easy to work with.

  • Now this may be the most efficient way to store solar energy, okay?

  • Make your hiring process more efficient and more effective.

  • It's actually really, really efficient and it's way less messy.

  • How can archives develop new and efficient ways of discovering data?

    Academic text (2011)
  • We worked hard last year to make GHS as effective and efficient as possible.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Is this a fair and efficient way to locate asylum seekers?

  • The new software is very efficient, allowing users to complete tasks in half the time.

Synonyms

effective
vsefficient
986 3.1

Produces the intended result, for example a speech or medicine

focuses more on speed and resource saving rather than only result
productive
vsefficient
293 3.5

Able to do a lot and get useful results

is about doing tasks well and quickly, not just high output
economical
vsefficient
23 3.8

Not using much money or resources and avoiding waste

includes careful resource use but also stresses quick capable task performance
expeditious
vsefficient
6 7.8

Done quickly without wasting time

does tasks quickly while also avoiding wasted effort or resources
performant
vsefficient
  • Specialized
1 7.1

Able to do a job quickly and well, especially in computer programs

applies broadly to people or processes beyond technical performance

Antonyms

58 3.5

Not using time, work, or money well

48 3.0

Using more money or things than you need

How Efficient

optimal
62 5.7
efficient
424 3.0
productive
293 3.5
adequate
234 2.7
inefficient
58 3.5

Surface Forms

efficient positive
efficienter comparative
efficientest superlative

Morphology

efficient = effic + ent

The combining form 'effic' is not a standalone English word and the adjective is a Latinate borrowing, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning from its parts.

Etymology

Efficient comes from Latin parts ex- 'out' and facere 'to make', and it shares the same root as factory, a place that makes things. So something efficient is good at 'making things happen' quickly and without waste, which is why it means working well while saving time or effort.