effectual
effectual — adjective
- effectualpositive
- more effectualcomparative
- most effectualsuperlative
1. Describes a method, action, or thing that successfully brings about the result i
Describes a method, action, or thing that successfully brings about the result it was intended to achieve.
The new medicine proved effectual, and Kwame’s fever went down within hours.
proved effectual — linking verb + adjective pattern
The police took effectual action, stopping the thief before he could reach the door.
effectual + noun (attributive use)
An effectual communication system helped the two design teams finish the project on time.
The manager’s cost-cutting plan was not effectual, so the firm looked to save money elsewhere.
The new safety rules have been effectual in reducing injuries at the factory this year.
- effective
Much more common and broader in meaning; can describe people, actions, or things
- efficacious
Very formal, mostly used in medical or technical writing; stronger emphasis on proven power
- productive
Focuses on output or yield rather than whether the specific intended result was achieved
- ineffectual
Direct opposite; failing to produce the intended result
- ineffective
More common antonym; not producing the desired effect
- futile
Stronger; pointless because success is impossible
文法句型
be effectual
effectual + noun
effectual in + noun/gerund
用法筆記
Frequently appears in formal writing (reports, evaluations, legal texts) rather than everyday conversation. The much more common word “effective” covers most of the same ground; choose “effectual” when you want to emphasise that the intended outcome was actually reached, not just that the action had a strong impact.