effektiver

Effektiver is a German-language term that functions as the comparative form of the adjective effektiv, meaning more effective or having greater effectiveness. It is used to compare two or more items, for example: Dieser Plan ist effektiver als jener. The positive form is effektiv, and the superlative is am effektivsten. In standard German, effektiver is not used as a noun; there is no common noun “der Effektiver.”

Usage notes and nuance: Like other German adjectives, effektiv declines to agree with gender, number, and case of the noun it modifies. In simple masculine singular nominative phrases, one commonly encounters effektiver before a noun, as in ein effektiver Plan. For feminine or neuter nouns or other cases, the endings differ (for example, eine effektive Lösung, ein effektives Ergebnis), so the form Effektiver is not universally applicable across all contexts.

Etymology and relation: Effektiv derives from the Latin effectivus, routed into German through historical use and influence from other Romance and English sources. The comparative suffix -er is a standard German formation for comparing two items in quality or performance.

Cross-linguistic note: In other Germanic languages, cognate adjectives exist with similar meaning, but the exact comparative form differs. The specific spelling and usage of effektiver are characteristic of German, while neighboring languages may use alternatives such as effektiverare or mer effektiv to express similar comparisons.

See also: Effektivität (effectiveness), Effekt (effect), effektiv (base adjective), comparison in German grammar.