Master the word "EFFICIENT" in English: definitions, translations, synonyms, pronunciations, examples, and grammar insights - all in one complete resource. Efficient most often describes what is capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy. While the word can be applied to both people and things, it is far more commonly applied to things, such as machines, systems, processes, and organizations. Efficient definition: performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort; having and using requisite knowledge, skill, and industry; competent; capable.. See examples of EFFICIENT used in a sentence. Learn the meaning of efficient, an adjective that describes something or someone that does a job successfully, without wasting time or energy. See synonyms, pronunciation, collocations, and usage examples of efficient in British and American English.