effektiv

Effektiv is an adjective used in Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish to describe something that achieves its intended effect with relatively little waste of time, effort, or resources. In English, the closest equivalents are efficient or effective, and the exact meaning depends on context. The term traces back to Latin effectivus and was borrowed into the Nordic languages in the modern era to express producing a desired outcome.

In practice, effektiv can modify a process, method, device, or action. It can indicate high performance in terms of speed or resource use, or success in achieving a goal. In management and operations discourse, the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness is commonly discussed: efficiency concerns how resources are used, while effectiveness concerns whether the stated objectives are met.

The word is widely used across business, public administration, engineering, media, and everyday speech to describe strategies, technologies, or actions that deliver the intended results with a favorable balance of input and output. Because of its broad semantic range, the exact translation into another language often depends on whether the emphasis is on resource optimization or goal achievement.