|
In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government ought to be instructed... No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. Preface to 1828 Dictionary
|
INEFFICA'CIOUS, a. [L. inefficax; in and efficax, efficio, to effect; ex and facio, to make.]
Not efficacious; not having power to produce the effect desired, or the proper effect; of inadequate power or force.
Ineffectual, says Johnson, rather denotes an actual failure, and inefficacious, an habitual impotence to any effect. But the distinction is not always observed, nor can it be; for we cannot always know whether means are inefficacious, till experiment has proved them ineffectual; nor even then, for we cannot be certain that the failure of means to produce an effect is to be attributed to habitual want of power, or to accidental and temporary causes.
Inefficacious is therefore sometimes synonymous with ineffectual.
Not efficacious; not having power to produce
the effect desired; inadequate; incompetent; inefficient;
impotent.
Boyle.
The authority of Parliament must become inefficacious . . . to restrain the growth of disorders. Burke. * Ineffectual, says Johnson, rather denotes an actual failure, and inefficacious an habitual impotence to any effect. But the distinction is not always observed, nor can it be; for we can not always know whether means are inefficacious till experiment has proved them ineffectual. Inefficacious is therefore sometimes synonymous with ineffectual. | ||||||||