| 1. | something that is produced by an agency or cause; result; consequence: Exposure to the sun had the effect of toughening his skin. |
| 2. | power to produce results; efficacy; force; validity; influence: His protest had no effect. |
| 3. | the state of being effective or operative; operation or execution; accomplishment or fulfillment: to bring a plan into effect. |
| 4. | a mental or emotional impression produced, as by a painting or a speech. |
| 5. | meaning or sense; purpose or intention: She disapproved of the proposal and wrote to that effect. |
| 6. | the making of a desired impression: We had the feeling that the big, expensive car was only for effect. |
| 7. | an illusory phenomenon: a three-dimensional effect. |
| 8. | a real phenomenon (usually named for its discoverer): the Doppler effect. |
| 9. | special effects. |
| 10. | to produce as an effect; bring about; accomplish; make happen: The new machines finally effected the transition to computerized accounting last spring. |
| 11. | in effect,
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| 12. | take effect,
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ef·fect (ĭ-fěkt') n.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin effectus, from past participle of efficere, to accomplish : ex-, ex- + facere, to make; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.] ef·fect'er n., ef·fect'i·ble adj. Synonyms: These nouns denote an occurrence, situation, or condition that is caused by an antecedent. An effect is produced by the action of an agent or a cause and follows it in time: "Every cause produces more than one effect" (Herbert Spencer). |
effect ef·fect (ĭ-fěkt')
n.
Something brought about by a cause or an agent; a result.
The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result; influence.
A scientific law, hypothesis, or phenomenon.
The condition of being in full force or execution.
Something that produces a specific impression or supports a general design or intention.
To bring into existence.
To produce as a result.
To bring about.