adj.

1. 1. Insufficient to produce a desired effect: an ineffectual effort to block the legislation.
   2. Useless; worthless: an ineffectual treatment for cancer.
2. Lacking forcefulness or effectiveness; weak: an ineffectual ruler.

ineffectuality in'ef·fec'tu·al'i·ty (-ăl'ĭ-tē) or in'ef·fec'tu·al·ness n.
ineffectually in'ef·fec'tu·al·ly adv.

adjective

1. Not having the desired effect: ineffective, inefficacious, inefficient, useless. See affect/ineffectiveness.
2. Having no useful purpose: inutile, unusable, useless, worthless. See used/unused.
3. Not capable of accomplishing anything: helpless, impotent, inadequate, incapable, powerless, weak. See ability/inability, strong/weak.

IN BRIEF: Not producing the proper or intended effect.

The wise despot, therefore, maintains among his subjects a popular sense that they are helpless and ineffectual. — Frank Herbert (1920-1986), US science fiction novelist.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The adjective has 4 meanings:

Meaning #1: not sufficient to produce a desired result
  Antonym: effectual (meaning #1)

Meaning #2: not producing an intended effect
  Synonyms: ineffective, uneffective

Meaning #3: producing no result or effect
  Synonyms: futile, otiose, unavailing

Meaning #4: lacking in power or forcefulness
  Synonyms: ineffective, unable

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Dansk (Danish)
adj. - ineffektiv, virkningsløs, uduelig

Nederlands (Dutch)
ondoeltreffend, ongeschikt

Français (French)
adj. - inefficace, sans résultat

Deutsch (German)
adj. - ineffektiv

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - ατελεσφόρητος, άκαρπος, αποτυχημένος, ανίκανος

Italiano (Italian)
vano, inefficace

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - inútil, impotente

Русский (Russian)
безрезультатный, неэффективный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - inútil, ineficaz

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - utan effekt, verkningslös, resultatlös, ineffektiv (om pers.)

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
无效的, 白费的, 无益的

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 無效的, 白費的, 無益的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 효과 없는, 헛된, 무력한

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 効果のない, 無駄な, 無能な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) غير فعال أو مؤثر‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮לא יעיל, אינו מביא לתוצאות‬

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