productivity

American  

[proh-duhk-tiv-i-tee, prod-uhk‑] / ˌproʊ dʌkˈtɪv ɪ ti, ˌprɒd ʌk‑ /

noun

• productivities
  plural

1. the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services.

   The productivity of the group's effort surprised everyone.

2. Economics. the rate at which goods and services having exchange value are brought forth or produced.

   Productivity increased dramatically last year.

3. Grammar. the ability to form new words using established patterns and discrete linguistic elements, as the derivational affixes -ness and -ity,

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productivity British  

/ ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. the output of an industrial concern in relation to the materials, labour, etc, it employs

2. the state of being productive

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productivity Cultural  

1. In business, a measure of worker efficiency, such as one hundred units per hour. In economics, involvement in the creation of goods and services to produce wealth.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonproductivity
  noun
• semiproductivity
  noun
• unproductivity
  noun
• antiproductivity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• productivities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of productivity

First recorded in 1800–10; productiv(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Use the noun productivity to describe how much you can get done. Your boss at work probably keeps track of your productivity — meaning he’s checking to see how much work you do and how well you do it. The word productivity is often used in the workplace. It can describe the performance of individual workers, a department, or even an entire industry. You’ll often hear it used with a percentage. Your boss might come in with a smile and say that productivity has increased by 30 percent. Productivity is also frequently used in relation to farming. If you live in a farming community you likely hear news reports about agricultural productivity in your area.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

productivity productivities

With productivity growth still weak, an upside surprise in economic activity could reinforce the RBA’s concerns that demand remains too strong.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

During his brief chairmanship thus far, Warsh has focused on big-picture topics like how artificial intelligence may boost worker productivity in the coming years.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026

Plus, outsmarting AI productivity trackers, finding love on LinkedIn and the memoir prompting women to rethink their finances.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

According to the study, chronic pain costs the UK £10bn annually in healthcare and lost productivity.

From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026

Temperatures, rainfall, and humidity all increased, raising plant productivity to the modern high levels for which Japan is preeminent among temperate-zone countries.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

That, in turn, allowed firms to meet a given level of demand by using more workers less intensively—at lower productivities.

From Economist ● Feb. 17, 2014

Over the long run, technology sets potential productivities, which govern the wages workers can earn.

From Economist ● Jan. 22, 2014

Of course, there are also the famous differences between the productivities of the economies of whole countries, such as Japan, the United States, France, and Germany.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

For instance, Japanese steel, metal, car, car parts, camera, and consumer electronic companies compete fiercely and have higher productivities than their U.S. counterparts.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

For expository reasons we can take social subsistence and productivities as purely constant.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Thomas Colignatus

Related Words

• capacity
• fertility
• production
• yield