fertility

[fer-til-i-tee]

noun

1. the state or quality of being fertile.

2. Biology.,  the ability to produce offspring; power of reproduction.

   the amazing fertility of rabbits.

3. the birthrate of a population.

4. (of soil) the capacity to supply nutrients in proper amounts for plant growth when other factors are favorable.

fertility

/ fɜːˈtɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the ability to produce offspring, esp abundantly

2. the state or quality of being fertile

Other Word Forms

• nonfertility noun
• overfertility noun
• prefertility noun
• unfertility noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertility¹

1375–1425; late Middle English fertilite (< Middle French ) < Latin fertilitās. See fertile, -ity

Example Sentences

At the time, she was freezing her eggs - a process she started because of potential fertility issues from her endometriosis.

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A 40-something woman and her spouse must decide whether to continue pursuing fertility treatments as costs pile up and their chances at pregnancy diminish.

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She and her spouse, Michelle Cast, had exhausted their fertility healthcare benefits and gone into debt for fertility treatments they say surpassed $300,000.

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Brazil Potash argues that producing fertilizer domestically could ease pressure on forests nationwide, since many farmers clear new land instead of reusing old fields simply because they lack the nutrients to restore soil fertility.

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As is the nature of fertility treatment, all of these appointments have to be done at very specific times of the month - and fitting this around her job at a private opticians has proven difficult.

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Related Words

• potency 
• pregnancy 
• productivity 
• virility