efficiency

[ ih-fish-uhn-see ]

noun

, plural ef·fi·cien·cies.

1. the state or quality of being efficient, or able to accomplish something with the least waste of time and effort; 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.

efficiency

/ ɪˈfɪʃənsɪ /

noun

1. the quality or state of being efficient; competence; effectiveness
2. the ratio of the useful work done by a machine, engine, device, etc, to the energy supplied to it, often expressed as a percentage See also thermal efficiency

efficiency

/ ĭ-fĭsh′ən-sē /

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.
2. See also mechanical advantage
3. The ratio of the effective or useful output to the total input in any system.

Other Words From

• nonef·ficien·cy noun
• super·ef·ficien·cy noun plural superefficiencies

Word History and Origins

Origin of efficiency¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from Latin efficientia, from efficient- (stem of efficiēns efficient ) + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

Science and efficiency should always go hand in hand.

From Slate

And if basic research is stripped down, streamlined, or tossed entirely in favor of “efficiency”? It will not just be scientists who will suffer—it will be all of us.

From Slate

Trump announced the creation of something he called the Department of Government Efficiency on Tuesday, and said it would be run by Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.

From Salon

Let us put aside for a moment that Trump assigned two people to head up a department concentrating on efficiency.

From Salon

In naming the space and electric car tycoon and the healthcare entrepreneur to head a new Department of Government Efficiency, Trump said he expected them to drive “radical change,” something like the Manhattan Project, the government initiative that created the atomic bomb during World War II.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ability
• adaptability
• capability
• competence
• energy
• expertise
• performance
• productivity
• readiness
• skill
• talent