effect
English
Etymology
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For noun: from Middle English effect, from Old French effect (modern French effet), from Latin effectus (“an effect, tendency, purpose”), from efficiō (“accomplish, complete, effect”); see effect as a verb.
For verb: from Middle English effecten, partly from Latin effectus, perfect passive participle of efficiō (“accomplish, complete, do, effect”), from ex (“out”) + faciō (“do, make”) (see fact and compare affect, infect) and partly from the noun effect.
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "RP" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /ɪˈfɛkt/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "GA" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /əˈfɛkt/
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 95: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Malaysia" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /iˈfɛkt/[1]
Audio (GA): (file) Audio (FR): (file) Audio (UK): (file) - Rhymes: -ɛkt
- Hyphenation: ef‧fect
Noun
effect (countable and uncountable, plural effects)
- The result or outcome of a cause.
- 1898, Winston Churchill, chapter 1, in The Celebrity:
- The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect, and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess[2]:
- The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. […] The bed was the most extravagant piece. Its graceful cane halftester rose high towards the cornice and was so festooned in carved white wood that the effect was positively insecure, as if the great couch were trimmed with icing sugar.
- 2013 June 8, “Obama goes troll-hunting”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8839, page 55:
- The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.
- The effect of the hurricane was a devastated landscape.
- Impression left on the mind; sensation produced.
- (Can we date this quote by J. C. Shairp and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- patchwork […] introduced for oratorical effect
- (Can we date this quote by Washington Irving and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- The effect was heightened by the wild and lonely nature of the place.
- (Can we date this quote by J. C. Shairp and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- Execution; performance; realization; operation.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- That no compunctious visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between / The effect and it.
- (uncountable) The state of being binding and enforceable, as in a rule, policy, or law.
- The new law will come into effect on the first day of next year.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- (cinematography) An illusion produced by technical means (as in "special effect")
- The effect of flying was most convincing.
- (sound engineering) An alteration, or device for producing an alteration, in sound after it has been produced by an instrument.
- I use an echo effect here to make the sound more mysterious.
- I just bought a couple of great effects.
- (physics, psychology, etc.) A scientific phenomenon, usually named after its discoverer.
- Doppler effect
- (usually in the plural) Belongings, usually as personal effects.
- Consequence intended; purpose; meaning; general intent; with to.
- Bible, Chron. xxxiv. 22
- They spake to her to that effect.
- Bible, Chron. xxxiv. 22
- (obsolete) Reality; actual meaning; fact, as distinguished from mere appearance.
- (Can we date this quote by Denham and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- no other in effect than what it seems
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- (obsolete) Manifestation; expression; sign.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
- All the large effects / That troop with majesty.
- (Can we date this quote by Shakespeare and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
Usage notes
Do not confuse with affect.
Adjectives often applied to "effect":
- biological, chemical, cultural, economic, legal, mental, moral, nutritional, personal, physical, physiological, political and social
- actual, bad, beneficial, catastrophic, deleterious, disastrous, devastating, fatal, good, harmful, important, intended, likely, natural, negative, positive, potential, primary, real, secondary, significant, special, strong, undesirable and weak
Hyponyms
- aftereffect
- butterfly effect
- domino effect
- Doppler effect
- Dunning-Kruger effect
- greenhouse effect
- Hill-Robertson effect
- knock-on effect
- Lombard effect
- Marangoni effect
- Matthew effect
- Nader effect
- ripple effect
- runaway albedo effect
- side effect
- snowball effect
- sound effect
- special effect
- spoiler effect
- Woozle effect
- Yarkovsky effect
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
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References
Verb
effect (third-person singular simple present effects, present participle effecting, simple past and past participle effected)
- (transitive) To make or bring about; to implement.
- The best way to effect change is to work with existing stakeholders.
- Misspelling of affect.
Usage notes
Effect is often confused with affect. The latter suggests influence over existing ideas, emotions and entities; the former indicates the manifestation of new or original ideas or entities:
- “New governing coalitions have effected major changes” indicates that major changes were made as a result of new governing coalitions.
- “New governing coalitions have affected major changes” indicates that before new governing coalitions, major changes were in place, and that the new governing coalitions had some influence over those existing changes.
Related terms
Translations
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Further reading
- “effect”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “effect”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Dutch
Pronunciation
Audio: (file) - Hyphenation: ef‧fect
Noun
effect n (plural effecten, diminutive effectje n)
Descendants
- → Indonesian: efek
Middle French
Alternative forms
Noun
effect m (plural effects)
Descendants
- French: effet
Old French
Noun
effect oblique singular, m (oblique plural effecz or effectz, nominative singular effecz or effectz, nominative plural effect)
- effect
- (law) judgment; decree
- punir les contrevenantz solonc l’effect des estatut
- Punish the offender according to the decree of the statute
- punir les contrevenantz solonc l’effect des estatut
Descendants
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/ɛkt
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
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- Requests for date/J. C. Shairp
- Requests for date/Washington Irving
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- en:Cinematography
- en:Sound engineering
- en:Physics
- en:Psychology
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Requests for date/Denham
- English verbs
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- English misspellings
- English basic words
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- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch nouns
- Dutch nouns with plural in -en
- Dutch neuter nouns
- nl:Finance
- Middle French lemmas
- Middle French nouns
- Middle French masculine nouns
- Middle French countable nouns
- Old French lemmas
- Old French nouns
- Old French masculine nouns
- fro:Law