noun
efficiency
The ability to achieve results with little wasted effort or resources.
The new heating system improves efficiency and lowers our energy bills.
Etymology
The Latin ancestor concerns accomplishing something. Efficiency narrows that productive ability to the relationship between the result and the effort or resources expended.
More examples
- Keeping tools within reach increases efficiency in the workshop.
- We compare the fuel efficiency of three cars.
- Combining deliveries creates efficiencies that save both time and money.
Forms
efficiency · efficiencies
efficient adjective — Achieving results with little effort or waste.
efficiently adverb — With little wasted effort, time, or resources.
Similar words
- economy
- Emphasizes careful use of resources, especially money or materials.
- productivity
- Emphasizes how much output a given input produces.