efficient

/i'fiʃənt/

Thân thiện

An efficient secretary organizes the office files quickly.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Capable of producing desired results without wasting resources: Describes a person, system, or method that works well and achieves its goals with minimal waste of time, energy, or materials.
   • Directly producing a result (philosophical/formal): In formal contexts, it can describe the immediate agent that brings about an effect or change.

Usage and Examples

• Describing a person or worker:
  • She is an efficient secretary who manages the schedule flawlessly.
  • We need an efficient manager to streamline the process.
• Describing a system, machine, or process:
  • The new heating system is much more efficient, reducing our energy bills.
  • Efficient engines consume less fuel.
• Describing a method or action:
  • Their efficient handling of the crisis prevented a major disaster.
  • We must find a more efficient way to organize these files.

Advanced Usage

• "Cost-efficient" (or cost-effective): Providing good value for the money spent.
  • Solar panels are a cost-efficient solution for long-term energy savings.
• "Energy-efficient": Using less energy to provide the same service.
  • All our appliances are energy-efficient.
• Formal/Philosophical: "Efficient cause": The agent that directly brings something about.
  • In Aristotle's philosophy, the sculptor is the efficient cause of the statue.

Variants and Related Words

• Efficiency (noun): The quality of being efficient.
  • The efficiency of the new software improved our productivity.
• Efficiently (adverb): In an efficient manner.
  • The team worked efficiently to meet the deadline.
• Inefficient (adjective): Not efficient; wasting time or resources.
  • The old printer was slow and inefficient.

Synonyms

• Effective: Successful in producing a desired or intended result. (Note: "Effective" focuses more on the result, while "efficient" focuses on achieving the result with minimal waste.)
• Productive: Achieving a significant amount or result.
• Competent: Having the necessary ability or knowledge to do something successfully.

Antonyms

• Inefficient: Not achieving maximum productivity; wasting resources.
• Wasteful: Using or expending something carelessly or extravagantly.

Common Collocations and Phrases

• Highly efficient: Extremely efficient.
  • The new algorithm is highly efficient.
• Fuel-efficient: Describing a vehicle that uses fuel economically.
  • They bought a fuel-efficient car.
• Run efficiently: To operate in an efficient way.
  • For the factory to run efficiently, we need better logistics.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. able to accomplish a purpose; functioning effectively
   • people who will do nothing unless they get something out of it for themselves are often highly effective persons...-G.B.Shaw
   • effective personnel
   • an efficient secretary
   • the efficient cause of the revolution
2. being effective without wasting time or effort or expense
   • an efficient production manager
   • efficient engines save gas

Từ đồng nghĩa

• effective