nonproductive
Americanadjective
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not productive; unproductive.
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not worthwhile or beneficial; not leading to practical or beneficial results.
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not producing goods directly, as employees in charge of personnel or inspectors.
adjective
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(of workers) not directly responsible for producing goods
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having disappointing results; unproductive
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of nonproductive
First recorded in 1920–25; non- + productive
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.
Buy-now-pay-later products can be “a nonproductive way to build credit,” Patel said, “especially if you can qualify for a credit card.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 17, 2026
He wrote that Mr. Biden was still experiencing a runny nose and fatigue, and that he had an “occasional nonproductive, now ‘loose’ cough.”
From New York Times ● Jul. 22, 2022
Meanwhile, the Mariners offense was sluggish and nonproductive against Royals starter Kris Bubic.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 18, 2021
That gives the 116th Congress — already predicted to be relatively nonproductive — only a few months to act, if that.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2019
Much of our public land has been nonproductive solely because of the lack of moisture.
From Community Civics and Rural Life by Arthur William Dunn
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.
