ineffectively.

Without adequately producing the intended effect.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• ineffectively respond
• ineffectively address

On the page

The office ineffectively responded by repeating information the applicant already had.

The revision ineffectively addressed the ambiguity because the crucial term remained undefined.

Usage notes

Primary category: analysis / argumentation / evidence. Forms: Invariable adverb; use more or most only where natural. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: effect assessment, evidence qualification, conditional reasoning, method comparison. Disciplines: argumentation, research interpretation, analytical writing. Commonness: moderately common.