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side effect

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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See also: side-effect

English

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Noun

side effect (plural side effects)

  1. An unintended consequence, or secondary result, of any action, in addition to the main or intended consequence of that action.
    • 1987, Brundtland Report:
      The processing of certain raw materials - pulp and paper, oil, and alumina, for example - can have substantial environmental side effects.
    • 1980, Advanced Automation for Space Missions:
      A side effect of this architecture (which was designed only for efficient fabrication) is that it also performs automated repair.
    • 1983, Ashford & Simpson, “Side Effect”, in High-Rise (album):
      So you go along for a long time / And nothing seems to worry your mind / But what it adds up to / It's the side effect / That finally gets to you / It's the side effect / That finally gets to you
    • 2007, Sylvia Escott-Stump, Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care‎:
      Useful for mild depression but may trigger coronary problems. A positive side effect is that it may actually help with degenerative joint disease symptoms.
    1. (medicine) An unintended consequence of a drug or therapy; usually an adverse effect, not a beneficial effect.
      Hyponym: adverse effect
      • 2018 May 30, Christine Hauser, quoting Sanofi, “Roseanne Barr’s Ambien Defense Is Disputed: ‘Racism Is Not a Known Side Effect’”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:
        “While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”
    2. (programming) A change in state outside of the local environment of the function being called.
      The Eiffel programming language is somewhat purist in insisting that functions have no side effects.

Usage notes

  • Adjectives that are often applied to side effect: mild, moderate, serious, severe, dangerous, unpleasant, debilitating, negative, positive, nasty, bad, horrible, terrible, painful, unexpected, unintended, strong, obvious, etc.

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