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English (UK)

Meaning of efficacy in English

efficacy
noun [ U ]
uk
/ˈef.ɪ.kə.si/ us
/ˈef.ə.kə.si/
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formal
the ability of something to produce the intended result:
The study is a serious attempt to understand the efficacy of cash incentives as a way of promoting learning.
Synonyms
effectiveness
efficacity
medical   specialized
how well a particular treatment or drug works under carefully controlled scientific testing conditions:
The clinical report shows results of almost 95% efficacy for the vaccine.
efficacy of Of course, the efficacy of any drug in a study will be different from its actual performance in the population.
efficacy trial Efficacy trials determine whether an intervention produces the expected result under ideal circumstances.
Synonym
efficacity
Related words
efficacious
effective
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Efficient and effective
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(Definition of efficacy from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

efficacy | American Dictionary

efficacy
noun [ U ]
us
/ˈef·ɪ·kə·si/
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the quality of being effective; effectiveness:
The drug's efficacy has been questioned by consumer advocates.
(Definition of efficacy from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of efficacy

efficacy
The calibration group is not a traditional control group in that no formal comparison of efficacy is made between the experimental and calibration control arms.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The efficacy of an antidementia drug is measured through various outcome assessment scales and psychometric tests.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The tocopherol arm was continued but eventually failed to show efficacy.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Efficacy and tolerability of twice-daily pregabalin for treating pain and related sleep interference in postherpetic neuralgia: a 13-week, randomized trial.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
All of these trials were based on evidence of potential efficacy in animal or in vitro models.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Efficacy of high-dose glycine in the treatment of enduring negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
A final efficacy finding of note was the beneficial effect of both ziprasidone and olanzapine on cognitive function.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Optimal vaccine trial design when estimating vaccine efficacy for susceptibility and infectiousness from multiple populations.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Although numerous attempts have been made to assess treatment efficacy, published results are still the subject of controversy [39, 40].
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The first type of argument is based on law's efficacy; the second on law's normativity.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Judges were not to evaluate the wisdom or efficacy of legislative enactments, nor were they to balance competing public and private interests.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
The report makes it clear that there are serious limitations to the current evidence on the efficacy of the housing-with-care model.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
In addition, low objective and subjective efficacy was found to promote docile behaviour.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Interestingly, it shows that objective and subjective efficacy play important mediating roles.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
High objective and subjective efficacy contributes partly to a lower level of depressive symptomatology via the promotion of a proactive style of behaviour.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
See all examples of efficacy
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with efficacy

efficacy

These are words often used in combination with efficacy.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

causal efficacy
The created power in humans, however, has no causal efficacy.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
clinical efficacy
There is close correlation between plasma concentration of parvaquone and clinical efficacy.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
evidence of efficacy
Caution is needed in separating the politico-social agenda of rationing and true evidence of efficacy with pain treatments.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with efficacy
What is the pronunciation of efficacy?
 

Translations of efficacy

in Chinese (Traditional)
功效，效力，效能…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
功效，效力，效验…
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in Spanish
eficacia…
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in Portuguese
eficácia…
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in more languages
in French
in Turkish
in Dutch
in Czech
in Danish
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Ukrainian
efficacité…
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yararlılık…
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werkzaamheid…
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účinnost…
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effekt, virkning…
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kemanjuran…
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ผลเกิดตามที่ต้องการ…
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tính có hiệu quả…
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skuteczność…
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effektivitet, ändamålsenlighet…
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kemujaraban…
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die Wirksamkeit…
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kraft, virkningsfullhet…
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ефективність, дієвість…
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