efficiency

English

Etymology

From Latin efficientia, equivalent to efficient +‎ -cy.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, [ɪˈfɪʃn̩si], /ɪˈfɪʃ.ɪn.si/
- Audio (Southern California): (file)

Noun

efficiency (countable and uncountable, plural efficiencies)

The extent to which a resource is used for the intended purpose.
Antonyms: inefficiency, wastefulness
- 2025 March 13, Gabe Cohen, “Head of Postal Service agrees to let DOGE work with USPS”, in CNN‎^[1]:
  In a letter DeJoy sent to Congress on Thursday, he said DOGE teams will “assist us in identifying and achieving further efficiencies,” saying the Elon Musk-led agency will focus on improving the management of USPS retirement assets and the Workers’ Compensation Program, as well as addressing the agency’s legislative mandates and regulatory requirements.
1. (engineering, physics) The ratio of useful work to energy expended. Often given the symbol η.
  The efficiency of this loudspeaker is 40%.
2. The extent to which time is well used for the intended task.
  The efficiency of the planning department is deplorable.
  - 1951 October, H. A. Vallance, “Across Denmark by Lyntog”, in Railway Magazine, page 658:
    Even at the busiest periods, an air of quiet orderliness pervades the hall, and the first impression gained by the traveller is one of efficiency, neatness and cleanliness.
  - 2012 September 7, Phil McNulty, “Moldova 0-5 England”, in BBC Sport‎^[2]:
    The display and result must be placed in the context that was it was against a side that looked every bit their Fifa world ranking of 141 - but England completed the job with efficiency to record their biggest away win in 19 years.
(dated) The quality of producing an effect or effects.
- 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
  The manner of this divine efficiency being far above us.
(US) A one-room apartment.
Synonyms: efficiency apartment, studio apartment, (UK, Ireland) bedsit

I have an efficiency available June through July.

fully-furnished efficiencies

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

extent to which time is well used

Bulgarian: ефективност f (efektivnost)
Catalan: eficiència (ca) f
Chinese:
Mandarin: 效率 (zh) (xiàolǜ), 效能 (zh) (xiàonéng)
Czech: efektivita (cs) f
Dutch: efficiëntie (nl) f
Finnish: tehokkuus (fi)
French: efficacité (fr)
Hungarian: hatékonyság (hu)
Italian: efficienza (it) f, rendimento (it) m
Japanese: 効率性 (こうりつせい; kōritsu-sei), 効率 (ja) (こうりつ; kōritsu), 時間効率 (じかんこうりつ; jikan-kōritsu)
Latin: efficientia f
Nepali: [script needed] (sashakta)
Polish: efektywność (pl) f
Portuguese: eficiência (pt) f
Romanian: eficiență (ro) f
Russian: эффекти́вность (ru) f (effektívnostʹ)
Slovak: efektívnosť (sk) f
Spanish: eficiencia (es) f
Swedish: effektivitet (sv) c
Tagalog: katalban, katalaban
Thai: ประสิทธิภาพ (th) (bprà-sìt-tí-pâap)
Turkish: verimlilik (tr)

extent to which a resource is used for the intended purpose

Azerbaijani: səmərə
Bulgarian: производителност (bg) f (proizvoditelnost)
Catalan: rendiment (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 效率 (zh) (xiàolǜ), 效能 (zh) (xiàonéng)
Czech: účinnost (cs) f
Dutch: rendement (nl) n
Finnish: hyötysuhde (fi)
French: rendement (fr)
German: Effizienz (de) f
Hungarian: hatásfok (hu)
Italian: efficienza (it) f
Japanese: 効率性 (こうりつせい; kōritsu-sei), 効率 (ja) (こうりつ; kōritsu)
Latin: efficientia f
Malay: kecekapan (ms), keefisienan, efisiensi
Polish: sprawność (pl) f
Portuguese: eficiência (pt) f
Russian: эффекти́вность (ru) f (effektívnostʹ)
Swedish: verkningsgrad (sv) c
Tagalog: katalban, katalaban
Thai: ประสิทธิภาพ (th) (bprà-sìt-tí-pâap)
Turkish: verimlilik (tr)

one-room apartment

Finnish: yksiö (fi)
Galician: estudio (gl)
German: Einzimmerwohnung (de) f, Einraumwohnung (de) f
Greek: γκαρσονιέρα (el) f (gkarsoniéra), στούντιο (el) n (stoúntio)
Swedish: enrummare (sv) c, etta (sv) c, övernattningsrum n

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

Arabic: ^{(please verify)} كفاءَة (ar)
French: ^{(please verify)} rendement (fr)
German: ^{(please verify)} Effizienz (de)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} لێھاتووی (lêhatûy), ^{(please verify)} کارایی (karayî)
Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} učinkòvitōst (sh), ^{(please verify)} djelotvórnōst (sh) f, ^{(please verify)} ȅfikasnōst (sh) f
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} eficiencia (es) f
Turkish: ^{(please verify)} verimlilik (tr)

References

efficiency on Wikipedia.Wikipedia