to the effect

English

Alternative forms

• to that effect, to this effect

Prepositional phrase

to the effect

1. With more or less the meaning of.

   He was vague but said something to the effect that he'd do it soon.

   • 2012 August 25, David Streitfeld, “The Best Book Reviews Money Can Buy”, in The New York Times‎^[1], →ISSN:

     […] why not cut out the middleman and write the review himself? Then it would say exactly what the client wanted — that it was a terrific book. A shattering novel. A classic memoir. Will change your life. Lyrical and gripping, Stunning and compelling. Or words to that effect.

Translations

with the meaning of

• Danish: i retning af
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: i retning av

  Nynorsk: i den retning (to “that” effect)

See also

• be like
• on the lines of

Further reading

• “to the effect that” (US) / “to the effect that” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “to the effect”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “to the effect that”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “to that effect”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “to this that the effect” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.