fertile

American  

[fur-tl, -tahyl] / ˈfɜr tl, -taɪl /

adjective

1. bearing, producing, or capable of producing vegetation, crops, etc., abundantly; prolific.

   fertile soil.

   Synonyms:

   teeming, fecund

   Antonyms:

   barren, sterile

2. bearing or capable of bearing offspring.

   Synonyms:

   teeming, fecund

   Antonyms:

   barren, sterile

3. abundantly productive.

   a fertile imagination.

   Synonyms:

   teeming, fecund

   Antonyms:

   barren, sterile

4. producing an abundance (usually followed by of orin ).

   a land fertile of wheat.

5. conducive to productiveness.

   fertile showers.

6. Biology.

   1. fertilized, as an egg or ovum; fecundated.

   2. capable of growth or development, as seeds or eggs.

7. Botany.

   1. capable of producing sexual reproductive structures.

   2. capable of causing fertilization, as an anther with fully developed pollen.

   3. having spore-bearing organs, as a frond.

8. Physics. (of a nuclide) capable of being transmuted into a fissile nuclide by irradiation with neutrons.

   Uranium 238 and thorium 232 are fertile nuclides.

9. produced in abundance.

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fertile British  

/ ˈfɜːtaɪl /

adjective

1. capable of producing offspring

2. 1. (of land) having nutrients capable of sustaining an abundant growth of plants

   2. (of farm animals) capable of breeding stock

3. biology

   1. capable of undergoing growth and development

      fertile seeds

      fertile eggs

   2. (of plants) capable of producing gametes, spores, seeds, or fruits

4. producing many offspring; prolific

5. highly productive; rich; abundant

   a fertile brain

6. physics (of a substance) able to be transformed into fissile or fissionable material, esp in a nuclear reactor

7. conducive to productiveness

   fertile rain

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fertile Scientific  

/ fûr′tl /

1. Capable of producing offspring, seeds, or fruit.

2. Capable of developing into a complete organism; fertilized.

3. Capable of supporting plant life; favorable to the growth of crops and plants.

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Related Words

See productive.

Other Word Forms

• fertilely adverb
• fertileness noun
• half-fertile adjective
• half-fertilely adverb
• half-fertileness noun
• nonfertile adjective
• overfertile adjective
• prefertile adjective
• unfertile adjective

Etymology

Origin of fertile

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin fertilis “fruitful,” akin to ferre “to bear”; bear ¹, -ile

Example Sentences

After 60 days, all that remains is a rich, fertile soil.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

In the wake of double haymakers inflicted by the pandemic and the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes in 2023, the ground is fertile for the AI revolution to seed all kinds of second-rate content.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Food stocks provide fertile ground for this exercise.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

As Ms. Shevchenko’s partner and escort, Mr. Robare honored Balanchine’s fertile inventions with ease and expertise.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Her gentle efforts to guide the hand of destiny, by decoying her master with fertile tricks or by reticent considerations these had not bean strong enough to be recognized in the despotism of fife.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Related Words

• abundant
• arable
• fruitful
• lush
• productive
• rich