Nearby Words

ineffectual

[in-i-fek-choo-uhl] Origin

in·ef·fec·tu·al

[in-i-fek-choo-uhl]
adjective
1.
not effectual; without satisfactory or decisive effect: an ineffectual remedy.
2.
unavailing; futile: His efforts to sell the house were ineffectual.
3.
powerless; impotent.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English; see in-3, effectual

in·ef·fec·tu·al·i·ty, in·ef·fec·tu·al·ness, noun
in·ef·fec·tu·al·ly, adverb


2. ineffective, fruitless, pointless, abortive. See useless. 3. feeble, weak.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Ineffectual has a plethora of syllables.
So is floccinaucinihilipilification. Does it mean:
an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language.
the estimation of something as valueless (encountered mainly as an example of one of the longest words in the English language).
Collins
World English Dictionary
ineffectual (ˌɪnɪˈfɛktʃʊəl)
 
adj
1.  having no effect or an inadequate effect
2.  lacking in power or forcefulness; impotent: an ineffectual ruler
 
ineffectu'ality
 
n
 
inef'fectualness
 
n
 
inef'fectually
 
adv

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

ineffectual
early 15c., from in- "not" + effectual (see effect).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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