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Effect vs Expect - What's the difference?

effect | expect |

As verbs the difference between effect and expect

is that effect is to make or bring about; to implement while expect is to look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; -- often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that).

As a noun effect

is the result or outcome of a cause. See usage notes below.

effect

English

(wikipedia effect)

Noun

  • The result or outcome of a cause. See below.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=1 , passage=The stories did not seem to me to touch life. They were plainly intended to have a bracing moral effect , and perhaps had this result for the people at whom they were aimed.}}
  • * {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)
  • , chapter=1 citation , passage=The half-dozen pieces […] were painted white and carved with festoons of flowers, birds and cupids. […]  The bed was the most extravagant piece.  Its graceful cane halftester rose high towards the cornice and was so festooned in carved white wood that the effect was positively insecure, as if the great couch were trimmed with icing sugar.}}
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-08, volume=407, issue=8839, page=55, magazine=(The Economist)
  • , title= Obama goes troll-hunting , passage=The solitary, lumbering trolls of Scandinavian mythology would sometimes be turned to stone by exposure to sunlight. Barack Obama is hoping that several measures announced on June 4th will have a similarly paralysing effect on their modern incarnation, the patent troll.}}
  • Impression left on the mind; sensation produced.
  • * J. C. Shairp
  • patchwork introduced for oratorical effect
  • * Washington Irving
  • The effect was heightened by the wild and lonely nature of the place.
  • (filmology) An illusion produced by technical means (as in "special effect")
  • (sound engineering) An alteration in sound after it has been produced by an instrument.
  • (sound engineering) A device for producing an alteration in sound produced by an instrument.
  • Execution; performance; realization; operation.
  • * Shakespeare
  • That no compunctious visitings of nature / Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between / The effect and it.
  • # (uncountable) The state of being binding and enforceable, as in a rule, policy, or law.
  • A scientific phenomenon, usually named after its discoverer.
  • (usually plural) Belongings, usually as personal effects.
  • Consequence intended; purpose; meaning; general intent; with to .
  • * Bible, Chron. xxxiv. 22
  • They spake to her to that effect .
  • (obsolete) Reality; actual meaning; fact, as distinguished from mere appearance.
  • * Denham
  • no other in effect than what it seems
  • (obsolete) Manifestation; expression; sign.
  • * Shakespeare
  • All the large effects / That troop with majesty.

    Usage notes

    The words “affect” and “effect'” can both be used as nouns or verbs, but when used as a noun the word affect is limited to uses in the psychology field, and the above definitions for ' effect are much more common. See also the usage notes as a verb below. Adjectives often applied to "effect": * biological, chemical, cultural, economic, legal, mental, moral, nutritional, personal, physical, physiological, political and social * actual, bad, beneficial, catastrophic, deleterious, disastrous, devastating, fatal, good, harmful, important, intended, likely, natural, negative, positive, potential, primary, real, secondary, significant, special, strong, undesirable and weak

    Derived terms

    (noun phrases using effect) * after-effect, aftereffect * butterfly effect * domino effect * Doppler effect * greenhouse effect * in effect * knock-on effect * Nader effect * personal effects * ripple effect * side effect * snowball effect * special effect * sound effect * spoiler effect

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make or bring about; to implement.
  • The best way to effect change is to work with existing stakeholders.
  • Usage notes

    Effect' is often confused with “' affect ”. The latter is used to convey the influence over existing ideas, emotions and entities; the former indicates the manifestation of new or original ideas or entities: * “...new governing coalitions have effected major changes” indicates that major changes were made as a result of new governing coalitions. * “...new governing coalitions have affected major changes” indicates that before new governing coalitions, major changes were in place, and that the new governing coalitions had some influence over these existing changes.

    Statistics

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    expect

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; -- often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that).
  • *, chapter=13
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.}}
  • To consider obligatory or required.
  • To consider reasonably due.
  • To be pregnant, to consider a baby due.
  • (obsolete) To wait for; to await.
  • * (rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616):
  • Let's in, and there expect their coming.
  • *1825 , (Walter Scott), , A. and C. Black (1868), 24-25:
  • The knight fixed his eyes on the opening with breathless anxiety, and continuing to kneel in the attitude of devotion which the place and scene required, expected the consequence of these preparations.
  • (obsolete) To wait; to stay.
  • (Sandys)

    Usage notes

    * Expect'' is a mental act and has always a reference to the future, to some coming event; as a person expects to die, or he expects to survive. ''Think]]'' and ''believe'' have reference to the past and present, as well as to the future; as I think the mail has arrived; I believe he came home yesterday, that he is he is at home now. There is a not uncommon use of ''expect'', which is a confusion of the two; as, I expect the mail has arrived; I expect he is at home. This misuse should be avoided. ''[[await, Await'' is a physical or moral act. We await that which, when it comes, will affect us personally. We expect what may, or may not, interest us personally. See ''anticipate . * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Synonyms

    * anticipate * look for * await * hope

    Derived terms

    * expected adjective * expecting adjective * unexpected

    Statistics

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    Anagrams

    * except 1000 English basic words