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
Related Words
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 in front of goal, Cole is the league's fifth-highest scorer of all time and picked up the Golden Boot in 1994.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
The transfer from Prolific Prep who won a gold medal playing for the USA under-17 national team during the summer scored 20 points in an 82-55 victory over Fairfax.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024
Prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland says he can still improve despite having scored 80 goals in 84 appearances for the Treble winners.
From BBC • Mar. 5, 2024
Prolific novelist Val McDermid offers writing wisdom and explains why she’s known as Scotland’s “Quine of Crime.”
From Slate • Dec. 10, 2023
But the Prolific would cease to be Prolific, unless the Devourer as a sea received the excess of his delights.
From William Blake A Critical Essay by Swinburne, Algernon Charles
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.
