prolific
Americanadjective
-
producing offspring, young, fruit, etc., abundantly; highly fruitful.
a prolific pear tree.
- Antonyms:
- barren
-
producing in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive.
a prolific writer.
-
profusely productive or fruitful (often followed by in orof ).
a bequest prolific of litigations.
-
characterized by abundant production.
a prolific year for tomatoes.
adjective
-
producing fruit, offspring, etc, in abundance
-
producing constant or successful results
-
rich or fruitful
Synonym Usage
See productive.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prolific
First recorded in 1640–50, prolific is from the Medieval Latin word prōlificus “fertile.” See prolicide, -fic
Explanation
Someone or something that is prolific is fruitful or highly productive. A prolific songwriter can churn out five hit tunes before breakfast. A prolific writer cranks out two novels a year, and a prolific rabbit has baby bunnies every few months. The word comes from combining the medieval Latin prolificus (“offspring”) with a form of facere (“to make or do”). It can also connote something taking root and growing, like prolific poison ivy that takes over the yard.
Vocabulary lists containing prolific
The Scarlet Letter
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GRE Verbal Reasoning, List 1
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"A Modest Proposal," Vocabulary from the satire
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Prolific goalscorer Ismael Diaz is one of those holdovers as is San Diego FC midfielder Anibal Godoy, the team captain.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
Prolific with Paris St-Germain and now Real Madrid, but unable to land a Champions League with either, it's with France on the biggest stage where he has shone the most.
From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026
He has transferred from Prolific Prep in Napa to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, wanting to experience regular high school life while playing in the competitive Mission League.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 20, 2024
The big gets out of high school were Tacoma’s Zoom Diallo, a national top-50 recruit who spent his senior year at Prolific Prep in California, and Jase Butler, a top-100 recruit from San Francisco.
From Seattle Times • May 20, 2024
The wheat was Spalding's Prolific; it came up evenly and well all over the field.
From Essays in Natural History and Agriculture by Garnett, Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
