SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
efficacious
adjective
Capable of producing the intended effect.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Capable of a desired effect
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topEfficacious emphasizes capacity for the effect; efficient concerns how economically resources are used.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See efficacious in use
The essay asks whether praise is an efficacious way to encourage revision.
Colored assembly tags proved efficacious in the builders' trial: the labels helped every tester place the gate's loose components correctly.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license