Effective and ineffective are two adjectives in the English dictionary and their meaning stands exactly opposite of each other, which means effective is just what ineffective is not. Both words originate from the parent word “effect” which means to have some influence.
Effective vs Ineffective
The main difference between effective and ineffective is that effective means something that works or brings winning results whereas ineffective is used to indicate something that does not work or brings no fruitful results.
Another difference is that effective is used both as an adjective and a noun while ineffective is used only as an adjective. Effective also means that the taken action did not fail or the person did not falter and ineffective means that the action had no victorious outcome.
Effective also means that art or something creative intended to create an impression was successful in doing so whereas ineffective means the artistic creation fail to create an impression. When used as a noun, effective means something consequential.
Comparison Table Between Effective and Ineffective (in Tabular Form)
| Parameter of Comparison | Effective | Ineffective |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Something that works | Something that does not work |
| Synonym | Potent, Productive | Ineffectual, unprofitable |
| Antonym | Invalid, worthless | Efficient, successful |
| Used In sentences as | Adjective and Noun | Adjective only |
| Meaning in artistic endeavors | Leaves an impression | Does not leave an impression |
What is Effective?
Anything effective means that it is had a positive outcome. Effective is used both as an adjective and a noun. The opposite of effective is ineffective or something that does not have a positive result. Effective also means to have a purposeful effect on something.
Its parent word is “effect” which also has a similar meaning. When people use effective about some art, that is if someone says the piece of art was effective in its purpose, it means it had a profound impression on the onlooker. The same meaning applies when used concerning a video or a film.
Some of the synonyms for effective are productive, useful, beneficial, and valid. When used as a noun effective usually refers to a person in the military and means he or she is ready for the upcoming job. The noun of effective does not have any opposite.
Effective also means something was beneficial in a given situation. This may indicate a decision or a particular action that was taken to resolve a problem or dissolve an issue that required action. However, it could also mean some action that had a productive upshot.
What is Ineffective?
Ineffective means something that did not bring out the desired result. Ineffective is used only as an adjective and most often means that the taken action was unproductive or did not have a useful outcome. Ineffective is also used to define something that did not have a purposeful result.
Ineffective is the exact opposite of effective or its parent word “effect”. The word ineffective also takes its root in the word “effective” and the use of the word was popularized during the 20th century. However, this word first started being used in the 13th and 14th centuries BC.
Some of the synonyms of ineffective are useless, worthless, inefficient, and futile. Antonyms of inefficient include useful, productive, capable, and skillful. When used about a piece of art or music or movie it denotes that the creation did not have any impression or failed to create a positive impression.
When used about a person it usually means that the person is inefficient in some way or has failed to do what he was assigned. Ineffective is also used to describe a person who is legally blind or is invalid. Ineffective may also mean someone is very idealistic and not practical or that he does not think pragmatically.
Main Differences Effective and Ineffective
- The main difference between effective and ineffective is that effective means something that works whereas ineffective is used to indicate something that does not work.
- Another difference between the two is Effective is used both as an adjective and a noun whereas ineffective is only used as an adjective.
- Effective also means that the taken action did not fail or the person did not falter and ineffective means that the action had no victorious outcome.
- Some of the synonyms for effective are productive, useful, beneficial, and valid while that of ineffective are useless, worthless, inefficient, and futile.
- When effective is used about a piece of art, it means the creation had a profound impression whereas ineffective when used about art it means it had little or no impression.
- When used as a noun effective usually refers to a person in the military and means he or she is ready for the upcoming job whereas ineffective is not used as a noun.
Conclusion
The words effective and ineffective have the exact opposite meaning to each other. Simply put effective means to have beneficial results whereas something ineffective has failed to drive winning results. Ineffective also denotes someone who is legally blind or is invalid whereas effective is used to describe someone who is skillful and is successful in carrying out the task he was supposed to.
The main difference between effective and ineffective is that effective means something that works and brings results whereas ineffective is used to indicate something that does not work or brings no results. Something that did not have any purposeful effect is also denoted ineffective.
Another difference between the two is that effective is used both as an adjective and a noun whereas ineffective can be only used as an adjective according to English grammar rules. When used as a noun effective usually refers to military personnel who are ready for the upcoming job.
When people use effective in reference to art or describe the piece of art as effective, it means it had a profound impression on the onlooker whereas when a piece of art is described as ineffective it means that the art failed to create the impression that it was supposed to.