From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishefficientef‧fi‧cient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ ●●● S3 W3 adjective EFFICIENTif someone or something is efficient, they work well without wasting time, money, or energy OPP inefficient a very efficient secretary an efficient use of land Lighting is now more energy efficient. —efficiently adverbCOLLOCATIONSadverbsextremely/highly efficientThe factory is modern and highly efficient.efficient + NOUNan efficient wayEmail is an efficient way of contacting a large number of people.an efficient methodThe railways used to provide a cheap efficient method of travel.an efficient meansThe tram is a very efficient means of transport.an efficient systemWe need a more efficient system for collecting money.an efficient serviceWe aim to provide our clients with an efficient and friendly service.the efficient use of somethingWe must work towards the more efficient use of all natural resources.the efficient operation of somethingThe law must protect investors without interfering with the efficient operation of the market.NOUN + efficientenergy/fuel efficient (=not wasting any fuel or energy)an energy efficient heating systemcost efficient (=costing or spending as little as possible)The larger a firm becomes the more cost efficient it can become.
Examples from the Corpus
efficient• Modern houses are much more energy efficient• Organisationally, the working of both payroll and personnel records has been very useful in providing an efficient administrative service.• If you are already using Ventura then these changes will all make your work more efficient and easy.• This is the most efficient and economical washing machine on the market.• Service at the restaurant is efficient and friendly.• It is so efficient and saves vast amounts of time and money.• Or the child may at first become even less efficient and then show some improvement.• Government rules now require car companies to design and produce cars with increasingly efficient engines.• They point out that bottom-up statistical methods are efficient from a computational point of view, but exhibit poor error correcting capabilities.• an energy efficient heating system• The passport office seems very efficient - I got a new passport in just 48 hours.• Thus, an efficient managerial labour market would be enough.• We need more efficient methods of transporting goods.• For a successful business, friendly and efficient staff are essential.• My new computer's much faster and more efficient than the old one was.• In its draft version the report declares that market forces alone will not ensure more efficient use of energy.• The doctor was cheerful and efficient, which immediately made me feel more relaxed.energy efficient• An ecological building would also be moderately more energy efficient.• Automatic defrost is most desirable since it eliminates human error and is energy efficient.• Today's forward thinking manufacturers are already offering systems which include self-washing filter units and energy efficient airflow patterns.• Lighting is now more energy efficient and the heat that it produces can be used to heat stores in winter.• And therein lies the key criticism of Mr Lamont's move towards an energy efficient Britain.• Others would like their homes to be energy efficient but wanted the features to be incorporated into the basic house price.• The work will include cavity wall insulation, roof insulation, double glazing and installation of energy efficient heating systems.• Why not spend some of that money on improving public transport schemes - more energy efficient, safer and less polluting?From Longman Business Dictionaryefficientef‧fi‧cient /ɪˈfɪʃənt/ adjectiveMANUFACTURING1producing goods using as little time, money etc as possibleThe United States has developed the most efficient methods of food production and distribution.Is this really an efficient use of resources?2cost-efficient, fuel-efficient etc costing as little as possible, using as little fuel as possible etcenergy-efficient light bulbs3doing a job quickly and wella very efficient young secretarya fast and efficient transport system —efficiently adverban efficiently run restaurantequipment that distributes electrical power more efficientlyOrigin efficient (1300-1400) Latin present participle of efficere; → EFFECT1 