productive

[pruh-duhk-tiv]

adjective

1. having the power of producing; generative; creative.

   a productive effort.

2. producing readily or abundantly; fertile.

   a productive vineyard.

   Synonyms: fecund, fecund
   Antonyms: sterile, sterile

3. causing; bringing about (usually followed byof ).

   conditions productive of crime and sin.

4. Economics.,  producing or tending to produce goods and services having exchange value.

5. Grammar.,  (of derivational affixes or patterns) readily used in forming new words, as the suffix -ness.

6. (in language learning) of or relating to the language skills of speaking and writing (receptive ).

productive

/ prəˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. producing or having the power to produce; fertile

2. yielding favourable or effective results

3. economics

   1. producing or capable of producing goods and services that have monetary or exchange value

      productive assets

   2. of or relating to such production

      the productive processes of an industry

4. resulting in

   productive of good results

5. denoting an affix or combining form used to produce new words

Other Word Forms

• productively adverb
• productiveness noun
• productivity noun
• antiproductive adjective
• antiproductively adverb
• semiproductive adjective
• semiproductively adverb
• unproductive adjective
• unproductively adverb
• unproductiveness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of productive¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from the Medieval Latin word productīvus; product, -ive

Synonym Study

Productive, fertile, fruitful, prolific apply to the generative aspect of something. Productive refers to a generative source of continuing activity: productive soil; a productive influence. Fertile applies to that in which seeds, literal or figurative, take root: fertile soil; a fertile imagination. Fruitful refers to that which has already produced and is capable of further production: fruitful soil, discovery, theory. Prolific means highly productive: a prolific farm, writer.

Example Sentences

Each cycle of filings requires extensive reconciliations and disclosures that absorb resources better devoted to productive investment.

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America simply doesn’t need to employ as many people in manufacturing because it’s so much more productive.

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In recent months, energy executives have said the basin needs to see natural-gas prices increase to about $5 per million British thermal units to encourage producers to venture into less productive, more expensive areas.

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When a new tool arrives that promises to make everyone more productive—advanced Excel features, sophisticated customer-relationship-management systems or powerful analytics platforms—who actually masters it first?

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“But I want them to use technology to learn and be more productive.”

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Related Words

• advantageous 
• beneficial 
• constructive 
• dynamic 
• effective 
• energetic 
• fertile 
• gratifying 
• profitable 
• prolific 
• rewarding 
• useful 
• valuable 
• vigorous 
• worthwhile