Affective vs Effective | Examples & Difference
“Affective” and “effective” are two adjectives that are frequently confused because of their related meanings and similar pronunciation. However, they’re used in different ways:
- Affective is used to refer to something that causes emotions or feelings. It can also be used to describe how these feelings are expressed.
- Effective indicates that something has a (desired) result.
These words are closely related to the adverbs “effectively” (meaning “in a successful way”) and “affectively” (meaning “with emotion”). However, “affectively” is not commonly used.
Examples: Affective in a sentence | Examples: Effective in a sentence |
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Affective neuroscience focuses on how the brain processes emotions. | You’re banned from the building, effective immediately. |
The movie’s affective portrayal of love and loss moved the audience in the theater. | The new medication was deemed effective for the treatment of aphasia. |
The speech was affectively neutral. | They effectively trained the new employee. |
How to use effective
Effective is a much more commonly used word than affective. It typically refers to something that successfully produces an intended outcome. It can also be used to mean “active” or “actual” (not theoretical).
“Effective” is not only related to the noun “effect” but also to the more rarely used noun “effectiveness” (e.g., “the effectiveness of the new teaching method needs to be evaluated”).
How to use affective
“Affective” is not only related to the verb and noun “affect,” but also to the less commonly used noun “affectivity,” which describes the quality of being an affective person.
Frequently asked questions about affective vs effective
- What is a synonym for affective?
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The word affective does not have a good synonym, but words that are semantically similar include “emotional” and “sentimental.”
Since it’s often used in the field of psychology, it’s best to not replace it with a synonym. Doing so may accidentally change the intended meaning.
Use the QuillBot’s Free Paraphrasing tool to find more synonyms and easily paraphrase online.
- What is a synonym for effective?
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There are a few synonyms (or near synonyms) for the word effective, depending on the context. The options include:
- Successful
- Fruitful
- Actual
- Productive
- Functional
Use the QuillBot Paraphraser to find more synonyms.
- What is an antonym for effective?
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There are a few antonyms for the word effective, depending on the context. The options include:
- Ineffective (most common)
- Theoretical
- Unsuccessful
- Inoperative
QuillBot’s sentence rewriter can help rewrite your sentence to reflect your intended meaning.