fertile
Americanadjective
-
bearing, producing, or capable of producing vegetation, crops, etc., abundantly; prolific.
fertile soil.
-
bearing or capable of bearing offspring.
-
abundantly productive.
a fertile imagination.
-
producing an abundance (usually followed by of orin ).
a land fertile of wheat.
-
conducive to productiveness.
fertile showers.
-
Biology.
-
fertilized, as an egg or ovum; fecundated.
-
capable of growth or development, as seeds or eggs.
-
-
Botany.
-
capable of producing sexual reproductive structures.
-
capable of causing fertilization, as an anther with fully developed pollen.
-
having spore-bearing organs, as a frond.
-
-
Physics. (of a nuclide) capable of being transmuted into a fissile nuclide by irradiation with neutrons.
Uranium 238 and thorium 232 are fertile nuclides.
-
produced in abundance.
adjective
-
capable of producing offspring
-
-
(of land) having nutrients capable of sustaining an abundant growth of plants
-
(of farm animals) capable of breeding stock
-
-
biology
-
capable of undergoing growth and development
fertile seeds
fertile eggs
-
(of plants) capable of producing gametes, spores, seeds, or fruits
-
-
producing many offspring; prolific
-
highly productive; rich; abundant
a fertile brain
-
physics (of a substance) able to be transformed into fissile or fissionable material, esp in a nuclear reactor
-
conducive to productiveness
fertile rain
-
Capable of producing offspring, seeds, or fruit.
-
Capable of developing into a complete organism; fertilized.
-
Capable of supporting plant life; favorable to the growth of crops and plants.
Synonym Usage
See productive.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fertile
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin fertilis “fruitful,” akin to ferre “to bear”; see bear 1, -ile
Explanation
The word fertile means "able to reproduce," but like so many words, that's just the beginning. The fact that she gave birth to eight kids was proof that she was fertile; her fertile imagination explained their unusual names. The distance between fertile's literal meaning (able to make babies) and its figurative ones (productive, prolific, full of potential) is small. A child's mind is a fertile place; an idea can grow there very easily. Rabbits are famously fertile creatures; they can spawn several generations in a matter of months. And "fertile ground" can be arable land or a situation that provides the perfect opportunity. The Latin root, fertilis, means "bearing in abundance, fruitful, or productive," from ferre, "to bear."
Vocabulary lists containing fertile
Down on the Farm
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Word Generation Social Studies - Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mesopotamia - Introductory
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"People are moving into areas where there's enough water to grow crops, and fertile soils, and those are the very areas that the elephants tend to use as well."
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The samples also contained gold-to-copper ratios well above those measured in fertile mantle and primitive mid-ocean ridge basalts.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026
This was a fertile environment for the proliferation of digital rapid-response networks at a time when they were most needed.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Even athletic brands that are struggling in the U.S., like Lululemon, have found fertile ground in China, where yoga and Pilates have become popular among affluent urban women.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
“I do believe you. I just meant I can see why people would want to settle here. Lots of fertile farmland, lots of potential for people to make new lives.”
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
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.
