effective, a. and n.
(ɛˈfɛktɪv)
[a. F. effectif, -ive, ad. L. effectīvus: see effect v. and -ive.]
A. adj.
† 1. a. That is concerned in the production of (an event or condition; rarely, a material product).
| 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 379 Powers..are effectiue principles of all actions. 1607 Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr. i. ii. 91 The signe of the Crosse is..effectiue of grace. 1677 Gale Crt. Gentiles II. iv. 170 Politic Philosophie is defined..a Science effective of Justice in the Citie. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. vi. 193 In the Tertian [Ague] the part effective of the bloud is out of its natural temper. |
† b. Having the power of acting upon objects.
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 214 Time is not effective, nor are bodies destroyed by it, but from the action and passion of their Elements in it. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. v. 139 The more unbodied any thing is, the more unbounded also is it in its effective power. |
† 2. Concerned with, or having the function of, carrying into effect, executing, or accomplishing.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. xxvii. 256 Ðis wes þe Proces causative, Ðat eftyr folowit effective. 1597 Morley Introd. Mus. Annot., Musicke is diuided into two parts..The second may be called syntactical, Poetical, or effectiue. 1607 Schol. Disc. agst. Antichr. i. i. 33 The former was significatiue onely, his effectiue. |
3. a. That is attended with result or has an effect.
| 1760 Goldsmith Cit. W. I. (1837) 200 There is an effective power superior to the people. 1776 Adam Smith W.N. I. i. x. 149 The masters alone had an effective voice in the legislation. 1863 Burton Bk. Hunter 90 The honour of the first effective shot. |
b. In mechanical and economical science: Said of that portion of an agency or force which is actually brought to bear on a particular object.
| 1798 Malthus Popul. iii. x. (1806) II. 250 The quantity of effective capital employed in agriculture. 1825 J. Nicholson Operat. Mechanic 67 This we call the virtual or effective head [of water]. 1879 Thomson & Tait Nat. Phil. I. i. §228 The Component of a force in any direction, (sometimes called the Effective Component in that direction). |
c. Theol. effective faith, effective love, etc.: that bears fruit in conduct [med.L. effectivus].
| 1854 F. W. Faber Growth in Holiness v. (1872) 75 Effective love makes us the living images of Jesus. |
d. effective range: the range within which a missile, weapon, or fire-arm is effective.
| 1859 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. i. 65 Two hundred and twenty yards..is to be taken as the effective range for fighting purposes of the old archery. |
e. effective temperature: see quots. 1929, 1930, 1957.
| 1915 Sci. Amer. 3 Apr. 328/2 Whereas in the case of terrestrial illuminants the actual temperature can be gaged, we must be satisfied with determining the effective temperatures of celestial bodies. Supposing the sun to radiate like a ‘black’ body,..its ‘effective’ or ‘black’ temperature can be determined from the sum total of radiation sent to the earth (solar constant). 1924 H. Dingle Mod. Astrophysics ix. 119 The wavelength of maximum energy, from which the effective temperature is determined. 1929 R. A. Wardle Princ. Applied Zool. 197 There would seem to be for each species of insect a range of temperatures between whose maximum and minimum extremes the insect is active... This range of temperatures may be termed the range of Effective Temperatures. 1930 Engineering 28 Nov. 671/1 The effective temperature of a room, that is to say, the temperature at which, in still air, a sizeable black body at standard temperature will lose heat at the same rate as it is being lost in its environment. 1957 Encycl. Brit. XVII. 847F/2 The term ‘effective temperature’ was sometimes used to denote what we now call ‘colour temperature’. ‘Effective temperature’ is now used to denote the temperature of a black body for which the total emitted radiation..is the same as the total radiation..emitted from the surface of a star. |
f. Philology. Denoting the completion or result of an action. Cf. effective n. 3.
| 1932 Jrnl. Eng. & Germanic Philol. XXXI. 251 The latter class may be called the effective aspect: ‘His strength gave out’, i.e., he came to the end of his strength. 1970 Language XLVI. 300 The -t forms were predominantly selected..for preterits in contexts suggestive of non-durative (‘effective’) aspect. |
g. Optics. effective aperture, the diameter of the widest beam of light incident on an optical system that goes to form an image, whether formed at a principal focus or not.
| 1893 Proc. R. Soc. LII. 412 The effective aperture of one or more of the various stops supplied with the lens is found by a well-known method. 1965 M. J. Langford Basic Photogr. iii. 54 As the aperture closes the diameter of this incident light beam or ‘Effective Aperture’ narrows proportionally. |
4. a. Powerful in effect; efficient, effectual.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. lxxxiv. (1495) 654 Oleum iuniperium is most effectyf ayenst the Quartayn. 1836 Random Recoll. Ho. Lords xvi. 402 He does not speak often; nor can he be considered an effective speaker. 1837 Howitt Rur. Life (1862) i. iv. 30 Contributed to make these pursuits effective, elegant, and attractive. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Land Wks. (Bohn) II. 17 Its best admiral could not have..anchored it [England] in a more effective position. 1860 Hawthorne Marb. Faun xliii. 338 An Italian comedy..effective over everybody's risibilities. 1879 Froude Cæsar iv. 39 Fewer men, better trained and disciplined, could be made more effective. |
b. Of works of art, literary compositions, etc.: Producing a striking impression; picturesque.
| 1853 G. Johnston Nat. Hist. E. Bord. I. 107 The high bank..is..rendered effective by a perpendicular wall of naked sandstone. 1872 Freeman Hist. Ess. 21 It is not one suited to produce any very effective romantic narrative. 1882 Garden 18 Feb. 119/1 Varieties of Amarantus are..effective in the..garden. |
5. a. Fit for work or service: chiefly of soldiers or sailors. (Also absol.; see B. 2.)
| 1684 Scanderbeg Rediv. v. 105 Being not above 15 or 16000 Men Effective. 1701 Lond. Gaz. No. 3733/4 The Imperial Army is said to consist of 44000 Effective Men. 1791 Smeaton Edystone L. §295 The copper-smiths..were not likely very soon to be effective. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. VII. xviii. i. 93 Army of 60,000 on paper; of effective more than 50,000. |
b. effective charge: the expenditure upon effective forces, as distinguished, e.g., from that upon military pensions, retired pay, etc.
| 1848 Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. 306 The whole effective charge of the army, navy, and ordnance, was about seven hundred and fifty thousand pounds. |
6. a. Actual, de facto; existing in fact; that is{ddd}so far as the effect is concerned; opposed to potential, nominal.
| 1786 Burke Art. W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 113 Afterwards displacing two effective governours..appointed by himself. 1790 ― Fr. Rev. 9 The collection of an effective and well-distributed revenue. 17.. Bentham Levelling Syst. Wks. 1843 I. 361 Those..whose present fortunes are above the mark..would be but a small part of the real and effective losers. 1878 Gurney Crystallogr. 39 Potential and not effective planes of symmetry. |
b. effective money; also quasi-n. (see quot.).
| 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Effective, a term used in many parts of the Continent to express coin in contradistinction to paper money. Thus bills on Vienna are generally directed to be paid in effective. |
B. n.
† 1. An efficient cause. Obs. See A. 5.
| 1610 Healey St. Aug. City of God xii. xxv. (1620) 442 Had the eye, the apple..their rotundity, not from any externall effectiue. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies i. i. 1 No less are they the due Effective of the former. |
2. Mil. a. An effective soldier. (See A. 5.) Usually pl.
| 1722 Lond. Gaz. No. 6060/1 The Garrisons..consist of 1000 Effectives. 1809 Wellington Let. in Gurw. Disp. IV. 478 An abstract..which shows the comparative numbers of effectives and total. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. VI. xxiv. 4 They counted nine thousand effectives. |
b. collect. sing. The effective part of an army.
| 1885 Standard 29 Oct. 5/5 The effective of the Turkish forces in the Balkan Peninsula now reaches 180,000 men. |
3. An effective verb or an effective aspect or part of a verb. Cf. A 3 f.
| 1935 Curme Gram. Eng. Lang. II. xii. 237 In duratives, ingressives, effectives..the present participle represents the act as incomplete. |