adv
Common
efficiently
Efficiently (adv) means In a way that avoids wasting time, effort, or resources. Example: “The team completed the project efficiently and under budget.”
adv
1
In a way that avoids wasting time, effort, or resources.
"The team completed the project efficiently and under budget."
"She sorted the post efficiently so everyone got their letters by nine."
"The new oven heats the kitchen efficiently, using very little gas."
How to use efficiently
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoing something without wasting time or resources.
Common pairings
work efficiently
run efficiently
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more efficiently
- Superlative
- most efficiently
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The team completed the project _____ and under budget.
Etymology
Formed from efficient plus the adverb suffix "-ly."
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
inefficiently
Related words
Rhymes for efficiently
gently
recently
fluently
urgently
silently
intently
patently
decently
currently
fervently
patiently
evidently
See all rhymes for efficiently →
Frequently asked questions
What does “efficiently” mean?
The word “efficiently” means in a way that avoids wasting time, effort, or resources. In plain terms, doing something without wasting time or resources.
How do you use “efficiently” in a sentence?
Here is “efficiently” used in a sentence: “The team completed the project efficiently and under budget.”
What part of speech is “efficiently”?
“Efficiently” is an adverb.
Is “efficiently” a common word?
“Efficiently” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between efficiently and effectively?
Efficiently describes doing something in a way that avoids wasting time, effort, or resources, focusing on how well resources are used. Effectively describes producing the intended result, focusing on whether the outcome is achieved, regardless of resource use; something can be effective without being efficient, and vice versa.
What is the difference between efficiently and quickly?
Efficiently emphasizes avoiding waste of time, effort, or resources overall, while quickly simply emphasizes speed. A task can be done quickly but wastefully, or efficiently without necessarily being the fastest possible approach.
In what contexts is efficiently commonly used?
Efficiently is commonly used in business, technology, and everyday contexts to describe processes, machines, or people that minimize waste, such as 'the team worked efficiently to meet the deadline' or 'the engine runs efficiently.' It typically pairs with verbs describing work, operation, or resource use.
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