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ef·fect (ĭ-fĕkt) Share: Tweet n. 1. Something brought about by a cause or agent; a result. 2. The power to produce an outcome or achieve a result: The government's action had little effect on the trade imbalance. 3. Advantage; avail: used her words to great effect in influencing the jury. 4. The condition of being in full force or execution; operativeness: a new regulation that goes into effect tomorrow. 5. a. Something that produces a specific impression or supports a general design or intention: The lighting effects emphasized the harsh atmosphere of the drama. b. A particular impression: large windows that gave an effect of spaciousness. c. Production of a desired impression: spent lavishly on dinner just for effect. 6. The basic or general meaning; import: He said he was greatly worried, or words to that effect. 7. effects Movable belongings; goods. tr.v. ef·fect·ed, ef·fect·ing, ef·fects To bring about; make happen; cause or accomplish: effect a cure for a disease; effect a change in policy. See Usage Note at affect1. Idioms: in effect In essence; to all purposes: testimony that in effect contradicted her earlier statement. to the effect that With the general meaning that: He said something to the effect that he was sorry. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin effectus, from past participle of efficere, to accomplish : ex-, ex- + facere, to make; see dhē- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] ef·fecter n. ef·fecti·ble adj. Synonyms: effect, consequence, result, outcome, upshot These nouns denote an occurrence, situation, or condition that is produced by a cause or agent. Effect stresses the idea of influence or alteration: a drug whose main effect is to lower hypertension; increased erosion that was the effect of deforestation. A consequence follows naturally or logically from its cause: a broken wrist that was the consequence of a fall; a reduction in crime that was the consequence of better policing. A result is viewed as the end product of the operation of the cause: improved his grades as a result of better study habits; an experiment with an unexpected result. An outcome more strongly implies finality and may suggest the resolution of a complex or lengthy process: The trial's outcome might have changed if the defendant had testified. An upshot is a decisive result, often of the nature of a climax: "The upshot of the matter ... was that she showed both of them the door" (Robert Louis Stevenson).

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# Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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