productive
Americanadjective
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having the power of producing; generative; creative.
a productive effort.
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producing readily or abundantly; fertile.
a productive vineyard.
- Synonyms:
- fecund
- Antonyms:
- sterile
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causing; bringing about (usually followed byof ).
conditions productive of crime and sin.
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Economics. producing or tending to produce goods and services having exchange value.
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Grammar. (of derivational affixes or patterns) readily used in forming new words, as the suffix -ness.
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(in language learning) of or relating to the language skills of speaking and writing (opposed to receptive).
adjective
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producing or having the power to produce; fertile
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yielding favourable or effective results
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economics
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producing or capable of producing goods and services that have monetary or exchange value
productive assets
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of or relating to such production
the productive processes of an industry
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resulting in
productive of good results
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denoting an affix or combining form used to produce new words
Synonym Usage
Productive, fertile, fruitful, prolific apply to the generative aspect of something. Productive refers to a generative source of continuing activity: productive soil; a productive influence. Fertile applies to that in which seeds, literal or figurative, take root: fertile soil; a fertile imagination. Fruitful refers to that which has already produced and is capable of further production: fruitful soil, discovery, theory. Prolific means highly productive: a prolific farm, writer.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of productive
First recorded in 1605–15; from the Medieval Latin word productīvus; see origin at product, -ive
Explanation
If you're productive, that means you do a lot — you create or produce large amounts of something. A productive worker makes more widgets than the shirker who keeps sneaking out to gossip and drink coffee. The word productive often describes a person's capability to do a lot of work, but is can refer to anything that produces a lot. The land in your area might be the most productive in the state, meaning crops grow very well there. Productive can be used more broadly to describe something that produces a positive result. For example, you might have a productive conversation with your mom about your college plans, or you might make a productive investment.
Vocabulary lists containing productive
Labor Day Lexicon: Words That Put You To Work
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The Hate U Give
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Awkward
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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.
"How is it possible that AI became productive and useful only six months ago, and they were somehow laying people off two years ago because of AI? It doesn't make any sense," he said.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
Joly said this week that officials and Lockheed Martin are having productive talks about providing more industrial benefits as part of the F-35 deal.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 27, 2026
Divorce is a traumatizing event, and your friend has moved on in a productive and forward-looking manner.
From MarketWatch • May 26, 2026
His long, productive career encompassed more than six decades, in each of which his live performances and recordings continually attested to his preeminence as one of jazz history’s most vital, innovative and influential artists.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Beginning in the 1950s, scientists developed hybrid strains of wheat, rice, maize, and other crops that were vastly more productive than traditional varieties.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
