I. -nt adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French efficient, from Latin efficient-, efficiens
1. : serving as or characteristic of an efficient cause : causally productive : operant
the efficient action of heat
2. : marked by ability to choose and use the most effective and least wasteful means of doing a task or accomplishing a purpose : competent
her education made it likely that she would be a typist more efficient than the average — W.S.Maugham
the efficient housewife takes the best possible care of her utensils
3. : marked by qualities, characteristics, or equipment that facilitate the serving of a purpose or the performance of a task in the best possible manner : eminently satisfactory in use : effective to an end
the most efficient kind of phrase for the purpose of communicating these subtle, complex impressions — H.J.Muller
the new barn is more efficient — S.H.Holbrook
Synonyms: see effective
II. noun
( -s )
obsolete : efficient cause
the great efficient of the world — Joseph Hall