effettivo

Effettivo is an Italian adjective and, less commonly, a noun, used to denote that something is real, actual, or effective. It marks the contrast with theoretical, nominal, or potential values. The form effettiva/e or effettivi can agree with gender and number. In everyday language, the term often collocates with costs, results, or quantities to signal what is truly the case rather than what is planned or imagined. For example, costo effettivo means the actual cost; risultato effettivo means the actual result.

Etimology: from the noun effetto (effect) and Latin effectivus, through Italian. The term distinguishes itself from efficiente or efficace; while efficace emphasizes capability to produce a result, effettivo emphasizes existence in fact or actualization.

In finance, tasso effettivo refers to the true or effective rate after compounding, fees, and other charges. In Italy, the term is used in concepts such as Tasso Annuo Effettivo Globale (TAEG), the annual percentage rate including costs for loans and credit. The effective rate can differ significantly from the nominal rate.

In administration and labor contexts, effettivo is used to describe the personnel who are on payroll or who are physically present, i.e., the staff as opposed to contractors or temporary workers. Phrases like numero effettivo di dipendenti or personale effettivo are common in HR and reporting, as are terms used in statistics to denote observed or actual counts.