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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."

How to use efficiently

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDoing something without wasting time or resources.

Common pairings
work efficiently run efficiently

Word forms

more efficiently comparative, most efficiently superlative

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The team completed the project _____ and under budget.

Etymology

Formed from efficient plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

productively competently economically

Related words

Rhymes for efficiently

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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