Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense effects, present participle effecting, past tense, past participle effected
1. variable noun [adjective NOUN]
The effectof one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
Parents worry about the effect of music on their adolescent's behavior. [+ of/on]
The austerity measures will have little immediate effect on the average citizen.
Even minor head injuries can cause long-lasting psychological effects.
2. countable noun
An effect is an impression that someone creates deliberately, for example in a place or in a piece of writing.
The whole effect is cool, light and airy.
Synonyms: impression, feeling, impact, influence More Synonyms of effect
3. plural noun [with poss]
A person's effects are the things that they have with them at a particular time, for example when theyare arrested or admitted to hospital, or the things that they owned when they died.
[formal]
His daughters were collecting his effects.
4. plural noun
The effects in a film are the specially created sounds and scenery.
5. verb
If you effect something that you are trying to achieve, you succeed in causing it to happen.
[formal]
Prospects for effecting real political change have taken a step backwards. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: bring about, make, cause, produce More Synonyms of effect
6. See also greenhouse effect, placebo effect, ripple effect, side-effect, sound effect, special effect
7.
See for effect
8.
See in effect
9.
See (put/bring/carry) sth into effect
10.
See take/come into effect
11.
See take effect
12.
See to (good) effect
13.
See to this/that effect
14.
See with (immediate) effect/effect from
15. cause and effect
More Synonyms of effect
effect in British English
(ɪˈfɛkt)
noun
1.
something that is produced by a cause or agent; result
2.
power or ability to influence or produce a result; efficacy
with no effect
3.
the condition of being operative (esp in the phrases in or into effect)
the law comes into effect at midnight
4. take effect
5.
basic meaning or purpose (esp in the phrase to that effect)
6.
an impression, usually one that is artificial or contrived (esp in the phrase for effect)
7.
a scientific phenomenon
the Doppler effect
8. in effect
9.
the overall impression or result
the effect of a painting
verb
10. (transitive)
to cause to occur; bring about; accomplish
Derived forms
effecter (efˈfecter)
noun
effectible (efˈfectible)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Latin effectus a performing, tendency, from efficere to accomplish, from facere to do
effect in American English
(ɛˈfɛkt; ɪˈfɛkt; often iˈfɛkt; əˈfɛkt)
noun
1.
anything brought about by a cause or agent; result
2.
the power or ability to bring about results; efficacy
a law of little effect
3.
influence or action on something
the drug had a cathartic effect
4.
general meaning; purport
he spoke to this effect
5.
a.
the impression produced on the mind of the observer or hearer, as by artistic design or manner of speaking, acting, etc.
to do something just for effect
b.
something, as a design, aspect of nature, etc., that produces a particular impression
striking cloud effects
c.
a scientific phenomenon
the Doppler effect
6.
the condition or fact of being operative or in force
the law goes into effect today
7. [pl.]
belongings; property
household effects
verb transitive
8.
to bring about; produce as a result; cause; accomplish
to effect a compromise
SIMILAR WORDS: perˈform
Idioms:
give effect to
in effect
take effect
to the effect
SYNONYMY NOTE: effect is applied to that which is directly produced by an action, process, or agent andis the exact correlative of cause; consequence suggests that which follows something else on which it is dependent in some way,but does not connote as direct a connection with cause; result stresses that which is finally brought about by the effects or consequences of anaction, process, etc.; , issue, in this connection, suggests a result in which there is emergence from difficultiesor conflict; , outcome refers to the result of something that was in doubt
OPPOSITE: cause
Derived forms
effecter (efˈfecter)
noun
Word origin
ME < OFr (& L) < L effectus, orig., pp. of efficere, to bring to pass, accomplish < ex-, out + facere, do1
More idioms containing
effect
a domino effect
COBUILD Collocations
effect
calming effect
comic effect
counter an effect
counteract an effect
damaging effect
deterrent effect
direct effect
distorting effect
feel the effect of
harmful effect
lasting effect
maximum effect
mimic the effect of
physical effect
possible effect
potential effect
produce an effect
same effect
study the effect of
suffer the effects of
Examples of 'effect' in a sentence
effect
Not that they are taking real effect one way or another.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Fines and penalty points have little effect.
The Sun (2016)
How far back you look in history can have a big effect on the resulting average.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You can expect pyrotechnics and special light effects too.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The new prices are expected to take effect within the next week.
The Sun (2017)
The practical effect of this change is that an employee has the statutory right to request flexible working for any reason at all.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
DEFEAT for the football team you support spills over into the next day and has an adverse effect on work, a study found.
The Sun (2016)
There may be more than one effect at work anyway.
Radford, Tim & Leggett, Jeremy The Crisis of Life on Earth - our legacy from the second millenium (1990)
It just looks like another effect rather than something being dealt with or commented on.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The protective effects may also occur in humans.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
This film shows the effects of the immigration.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
What is the practical effect of this result?
Christianity Today (2000)
Rarely has so much wailing been to so little effect.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Military activity coupled with prolonged drought will undoubtedly have had an adverse effect on its survival.
Burton, John A. Animals of the World (1993)
This association may or may not be one of cause and effect.
McKenzie, James F. & Pinger, Robert R. An Introduction to Community Health (1995)
We are not permitted to know the real effects of the thousands of drugs we take.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Political economists who have read off meaning and effect from ownership and control.
Collins, Richard Television - policy and culture (1990)
The new law came into effect this week and has been virtually ignored.
The Sun (2015)
When do the changes come into effect?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Was the overall effect still too cool?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
You can blend or smudge pencil with a finger to soften lines or to make special effects.
Robertson, Bruce Learn to Draw Countryside (1996)
You can enhance faded parts with an ultraviolet light effect.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They become celebrities and that has an effect on a person.
The Sun (2012)
But the menace is also an effect of place.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
You say things for effect all the time to lift players.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Too many teachers see first hand the effects of poverty on their pupils.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The extent to which they do this will influence the inflationary effects.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There are two reasons why new sanctions might have an effect where existing ones have failed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Atmospheric haze has something of this effect.
Freeman, Michael Collins Complete Guide to Photography (1993)
A ceasefire is due to come into effect at midnight tonight, local time.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
effect
British English: effect /ɪˈfɛkt/ NOUN
An effect is a change, reaction, or impression that is caused by something or is the result of something.
...the effects of global warming.
American English: effect
Arabic: أَثَر
Brazilian Portuguese: efeito
Chinese: 影响
Croatian: učinak
Czech: účinek
Danish: effekt
Dutch: effect resultaat
European Spanish: efecto
Finnish: vaikutus
French: effet
German: Wirkung
Greek: συνέπεια
Italian: effetto
Japanese: 影響
Korean: 효과
Norwegian: virkning
Polish: skutek
European Portuguese: efeito
Romanian: efect
Russian: результат
Latin American Spanish: efecto
Swedish: verkan
Thai: ผลกระทบ
Turkish: etki
Ukrainian: результат
Vietnamese: tác động
All related terms of 'effect'
in effect
You add in effect to a statement or opinion that is not precisely accurate , but which you feel is a reasonable description or summary of a particular situation .
for effect
If you say that someone is doing something for effect , you mean that they are doing it in order to impress people and to draw attention to themselves.
Gunn effect
a phenomenon observed in some semiconductors in which a steady electric field of magnitude greater than a threshold value generates electrical oscillations with microwave frequencies
Hall effect
the production of a potential difference across a conductor carrying an electric current when a magnetic field is applied in a direction perpendicular to that of the current flow
halo effect
the beneficial effect on sales of a company's range of products produced by the popularity or high profile of one particular product
Kerr effect
the production of double refraction in certain transparent substances by the application of a strong electric field
lake-effect
caused or greatly influenced by the moist air above a large lake
same effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
side effect
The side-effects of a drug are the effects, usually bad ones, that the drug has on you in addition to its function of curing illness or pain .
skin effect
the tendency of alternating current to concentrate in the surface layer of a conductor , esp at high frequencies , thus increasing its effective resistance
take effect
You can say that something takes effect when it starts to produce the results that are intended .
after-effect
The after-effects of an event, experience, or substance are the conditions which result from it.
Auger effect
the spontaneous emission of an electron instead of a photon by an excited ion as a result of a vacancy being filled in an inner electron shell
blast effect
the damage caused by the force of an explosive blast
comic effect
An effect is an impression that someone creates deliberately, for example in a place or in a piece of writing.
direct effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
domino effect
If one event causes another similar event, which in turn causes another event, and so on, you can refer to this as a domino effect .
field-effect
designating or of an electronic component or device, esp. a transistor , controlled by an external electric field
ground effect
the improvement to the aerodynamic qualities of a low-slung motor vehicle resulting from a cushion of air beneath it
Hubble effect
→ redshift
Joule effect
the production of heat as the result of a current flowing through a conductor
noodle effect
the theoretical process by which an object approaching a black hole is progressively broken down into a long thin string of particles by increasing gravitational forces, esp the vast difference in gravitational strength at either end of the object
notch effect
the increase in stress in an area of a component near a crack , depression , etc, or a change in section, such as a sharp angle: can be enough to cause failure of the component although the calculated average stress may be quite safe
oxygen effect
the increased sensitivity to radiation of living organisms, tissues, etc, when they are exposed in the presence of oxygen
pinch effect
the constriction of a beam of charged particles , caused by a force on each particle due to its motion in the magnetic field generated by the movement of the other particles
Raman effect
a change in wavelength of light that is scattered by electrons within a material. The effect is used in Raman spectroscopy for studying molecules
ripple effect
If an event or action has a ripple effect , it causes several other events to happen one after the other.
sound effect
Sound effects are the sounds that are created artificially to make a play more realistic , especially a radio play.
stage effect
a special effect created on the stage by lighting, sound, etc
Stark effect
the splitting of the lines of a spectrum when the source of light is subjected to a strong electrostatic field, discovered by Johannes Stark (1874–1957) in 1913
stereo effect
the spatial effect given to sound that is achieved by using two or more separate microphones to feed two or more loudspeakers through separate channels
toxic effect
an adverse effect of a drug produced by an exaggeration of the effect that produces the therapeutic response
tunnel effect
the phenomenon in which an object, usually an elementary particle, tunnels through a potential barrier even though it does not have sufficient energy to surmount the barrier. It is explained by wave mechanics and is the cause of alpha decay , field emission , and certain conduction processes in semiconductors
Zeeman effect
the splitting of a spectral line of a substance into several closely spaced lines when the substance is placed in a magnetic field
Babinski effect
the reflex curling upwards of the toes ( instead of inwards ) when the sole of the foot is stroked, normal in infants below the age of two but a pathological condition in adults
Bradley effect
the distortion of opinion polls caused by the reluctance of respondents to admit to a preference that is regarded as socially unacceptable
calming effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
chilling effect
a discouraging or deterring effect, esp. one resulting from a restrictive law or regulation
Compton effect
a phenomenon in which a collision between a photon and a particle results in an increase in the kinetic energy of the particle and a corresponding increase in the wavelength of the photon
Coriolis effect
a deflection in the path of a body moving in latitude relative to the Earth when observed from the Earth. The deflection is due to the Earth's rotation and is to the east when the motion is towards a pole
damaging effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
Doppler effect
a phenomenon , observed for sound waves and electromagnetic radiation , characterized by a change in the apparent frequency of a wave as a result of relative motion between the observer and the source
harmful effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
lasting effect
An effect is an impression that someone creates deliberately, for example in a place or in a piece of writing.
maximum effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
Meissner effect
the phenomenon in which magnetic flux is excluded from a substance when it is in a superconducting state, except for a thin layer at the surface
Peltier effect
the production of heat at one junction and the absorption of heat at the other junction of a thermocouple when a current is passed around the thermocouple circuit . The heat produced is additional to the heat arising from the resistance of the wires
physical effect
The effect of one thing on another is the change that the first thing causes in the second thing.
placebo effect
The placebo effect is the fact that some patients' health improves after taking what they believe is an effective drug but which is in fact only a placebo.
position effect
the effect on the phenotype of interacting genes when their relative positions on the chromosome are altered , as by inversion
a change or state of affairs caused by something or someone
the psychological effects of head injuries
Synonyms
result
This is the result of eating too much fatty food.
consequence
Her lawyers said she understood the consequences of her actions.
conclusion
Executives said it was the logical conclusion of the process.
outcome
It's too early to predict the outcome of the race.
event
issue
aftermath
In the aftermath of the coup, troops opened fire on demonstrators.
fruit
The findings are the fruit of more than three years' research.
end result
upshot
So the upshot is we're going for lunch on Friday.
2 (noun)
Definition
power to influence or produce a result
The whole effect is cool, light and airy
Synonyms
impression
I gave no sign that his charm had made any impression on me.
feeling
I have a feeling that everything will come right for us.
impact
They expect the meeting to have a marked impact on the country's future.
influence
Many other medications have an influence on cholesterol levels.
3 (noun)
Definition
basic meaning or purpose
He told me to get lost, or words to that effect.
Synonyms
purpose
Talking about it will serve no purpose.
meaning
I became more aware of the symbols and their meanings.
impression
sense
a noun which has two senses
import
I have already spoken about the import of his speech.
drift
She was beginning to get his drift.
intent
a statement of intent on arms control
essence
thread
the thread running through the book
tenor
The whole tenor of discussions has changed.
purport
The purport of his speech was obvious.
4 (noun)
Definition
the condition of being operative
We are now resuming diplomatic relations with immediate effect.
Synonyms
implementation
the implementation of the peace agreement
force
He changed our world through the force of his ideas.
action
Her description of the action of poisons is very accurate.
performance
What is the car's performance like?
operation
This change is due to the operation of several factors.
enforcement
the adequate enforcement of the law
execution
the unquestioning execution of his orders
(verb)
Definition
to cause (something) to take place
Prospects for effecting real political change have taken a step backward.
Synonyms
bring about
make
The crash made a noise like a building coming down.
cause
I don't want to cause any trouble.
produce
Cooking with spices produces a wonderful smell.
create
He's creating a whole new language of painting.
complete
He had just completed his first novel.
achieve
There are many who will work hard to achieve these goals.
perform
people who have performed outstanding acts of bravery
carry out
fulfil
He is too ill to fulfil his duties.
accomplish
If we all work together, I think we can accomplish our goal.
execute
We are going to execute our campaign plan to the letter.
initiate
They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.
give rise to
consummate
No one has yet been able to consummate a deal.
actuate
effectuate
the problems of when and how to effectuate secession
phrase
See in effect
idioms
See put, bring or carry into effect
See take effect
See to good effect
See .to no effect
Usage note
It is quite common for the verb effect to be mistakenly used where affect is intended. Effect is relatively uncommon and rather formal, and is a synonym of `bring about'. Conversely, the noun effect is quite often mistakenly written with an initial a. The following are correct: the group is still recovering from the effects of the recession; they really are powerless to effect any change. The next two examples are incorrect: the full affects of the shutdown won't be felt for several more days; men whose lack of hair doesn't effect their self-esteem.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accomplish
Definition
to complete
If we all work together, I think we can accomplish our goal.
Synonyms
realize,
produce,
effect,
finish,
complete,
manage,
achieve,
perform,
carry out,
conclude,
fulfil,
execute,
bring about,
attain,
consummate,
bring off (informal),
do,
effectuate,
put the tin lid on
in the sense of achieve
Definition
to gain by hard work or effort
There are many who will work hard to achieve these goals.
Synonyms
accomplish,
reach,
fulfil,
finish,
complete,
gain,
perform,
earn,
do,
get,
win,
carry out,
realize,
obtain,
conclude,
acquire,
execute,
bring about,
attain,
consummate,
procure,
bring off (informal),
effectuate,
put the tin lid on
in the sense of action
Her description of the action of poisons is very accurate.