efficacy
Americannoun
plural
efficacies-
the capacity for producing a desired result or effect.
Short, frequent periods of practice were shown to have greater efficacy than longer and less frequent ones.
-
a measure of the success of a vaccine or other pharmaceutical when used in the controlled environment of a clinical trial, as opposed to in the real world.
noun
Other Word Forms
- nonefficacy noun
Etymology
Origin of efficacy
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin efficācia, from efficāc- (stem of efficāx ) “effective, effectual” + -ia, noun suffix; efficacious ( def. ), -y 3 ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Under the accelerated approval pathway, the FDA is supposed to assess improvement based on so-called surrogate endpoints that predict real-world efficacy—for instance, reduced levels of a protein caused by a rare disease.
So far, the data is limited on the efficacy of dry floating compared to wet floating.
From Los Angeles Times
The note observes that Truflation consistently led CPI higher in 2021 and lower in 2022 and its efficacy is such that it may eventually negate the whole point of CPI in the first place.
From MarketWatch
"The efficacy of low-carb and low-fat diets in reducing CHD risk is a topic of ongoing debate, and past studies showed mixed findings."
From Science Daily
"It could also help advance personalized treatment options by allowing doctors to monitor a patient's biomarker levels daily or weekly to assess drug efficacy, rather than waiting months for imaging results."
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
