/ ɪˈfɪʃnsi; NAmE / noun
1.
[ U ] the quality of doing sth well with no waste of time or money :
improvements in efficiency at the factory
I was impressed by the efficiency with which she handled the crisis.
2.
efficiencies [ pl. ] ways of wasting less time and money or of saving time or money :
We are looking at our business to see where savings and efficiencies can be made.
3.
[ U ] ( technical ) the relationship between the amount of energy that goes into a machine or an engine, and the amount that it produces
4.
[ C ] = efficiency apartment
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent. (in the sense the fact of being an efficient cause ): from Latin efficientia , from efficere accomplish, from ex- out, thoroughly + facere do, make.