ef·fi·cien·cy

[ih-fish-uhn-see]
noun, plural ef·fi·cien·cies.
1.
the state or quality of being efficient; competency in performance.
2.
accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort: The assembly line increased industry's efficiency.
3.
the ratio of the work done or energy developed by a machine, engine, etc., to the energy supplied to it, usually expressed as a percentage.
4.
efficiency apartment.
Origin:
1585–95; < Latin efficientia, equivalent to efficient- (see efficient) + -ia -y3

Related forms
non·ef·fi·cien·cy, noun
su·per·ef·fi·cien·cy, noun, plural su·per·ef·fi·cien·cies.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To efficiency
00:10
Efficiency is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
efficiency (ɪˈfɪʃənsɪ) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n , pl -cies
1.  the quality or state of being efficient; competence; effectiveness
2.  See also thermal efficiency the ratio of the useful work done by a machine, engine, device, etc, to the energy supplied to it, often expressed as a percentage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

efficiency
1630s, "power to accomplish something," from L. efficientia (see efficient). In mechanics, "ratio of useful work done to energy expended," from 1858. Attested from 1952 as short for efficiency apartment (itself from 1930).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

efficiency ef·fi·cien·cy (ĭ-fĭsh'ən-sē)
n.

  1. The production of the desired effects or results with minimum waste of time, effort, or skill.

  2. A measure of effectiveness; specifically, the useful work output divided by the energy input in any system.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
efficiency   (ĭ-fĭsh'ən-sē)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The ratio of the energy delivered (or work done) by a machine to the energy needed (or work required) in operating the machine. The efficiency of any machine is always less than one due to forces such as friction that use up energy unproductively. See also mechanical advantage.

  2. The ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
Or function at all with any semblance of efficiency, effectiveness, and
  accountability.
Because with unlimited government money there is no need for efficiency.
Propellers lost efficiency and thrust when they neared supersonic speeds.
The quantum dots are designed to absorb colors that silicon doesn't,
  potentially doubling the efficiency of solar cells.
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