Effected

/ɪˈfɛktɪd/ verb

Definition

Made something happen or brought something into being; caused a change or result.

Etymology

From Latin 'effectus,' past participle of 'efficere' meaning 'to accomplish.' The prefix 'ef-' means 'out' and 'facere' means 'to make,' so literally 'to make happen.' It evolved to mean producing a real, tangible result.

Kelly Says

English speakers confuse 'effected' with 'affected' so often that it's become a classic mistake! 'Effected' is the rare one—it means you actually made something real happen, like 'the protesters effected real change.' Most of the time people use 'affected' instead.

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