different between immediate vs effective

English

Etymology

From Old French immediat, from Late Latin immedi?tus (“without anything between”), from Latin in + medi?tus, past participle of medi? (“to halve, to be in the middle”), from medius (“middle”)

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /??mi.di.?t/, /??mi.di.?t/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??mi?d??t/, /??mi?d??t/
• Hyphenation: im?me?di?ate

Adjective

immediate (comparative more immediate, superlative most immediate)

1. Happening right away, instantly, with no delay.

2. Very close; direct or adjacent.
   • c. 1600, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, Scene 2,^[2]

     You are the most immediate to our throne,

3. Manifestly true; requiring no argument.
4. (computer science, of an instruction operand) embedded as part of the instruction itself, rather than stored elsewhere (such as a register or memory location)
5. (procedure word, military) Used to denote that a transmission is urgent.

6. (procedure word, military) An artillery fire mission modifier for to types of fire mission to denote an immediate need for fire: Immediate smoke, all guns involved must reload smoke and fire. Immediate suppression, all guns involved fire the rounds currently loaded and then switch to high explosive with impact fused (unless fuses are specified).

Synonyms

• (happening right away): instant, present; see also Thesaurus:instantaneous
• (very close): close, nearby; see also Thesaurus:near
• (manifestly true): self-evident, indubitable

Derived terms

• immediately

Related terms

• immediacy

Translations

Anagrams

• metiamide

Italian

Adjective

immediate f pl

1. feminine plural of immediato

Latin

Adjective

immedi?te

1. vocative masculine singular of immedi?tus

English

Etymology

From French effectif, from Latin effect?vus (“productive; effective”), from effici? (“I make; I bring about”).

Pronunciation

• (weak vowel distinction) IPA^(key): /??f?kt?v/
• (weak vowel merger) IPA^(key): /??f?kt?v/
• Rhymes: -?kt?v

Adjective

effective (comparative more effective, superlative most effective)

1. Having the power to produce a required effect or effects.

   Synonym: efficacious

2. Producing a decided or decisive effect.
   • 1650, Jeremy Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living

     Whosoever is an effective, real cause of doing his neighbour wrong, is criminal.

3. Efficient, serviceable, or operative, available for useful work.

4. Actually in effect.

5. (geometry, of a cycle or divisor) Having no negative coefficients.
6. (physics, for any effective theory) approximate; Not describing the fundamental dynamic changes in some system as they happen.

Usage notes

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary from 1913 still lists efficient and effective as synonyms, but all major dictionaries now show that these words now only have different meanings in careful use. Use of both for the other meaning is however widespread enough that Longman's Exam Dictionary, for example, finds it necessary to proscribe the use of one for the other with several examples at each entry and provides the following summary:

• efficient = working quickly and without waste
• effective = having the desired effect

Related terms

Translations

Noun

effective (plural effectives)

1. (military) a soldier fit for duty
   • 1876, Dabney Herndon Maury, Southern Historical Society Papers: Volume 2, Number 4, Recollections of the Elkhorn Campaign:

     The Army of the West reached Corinth sometime after the battle of Shiloh. We were 15,000 effectives, and brought Beauregard's effective force up to 45,000 men.

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e.f?k.tiv/
• Homophone: effectives

Adjective

effective

1. feminine singular of effectif

Latin

Adjective

effect?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of effect?vus