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.
But, he added: “There is a pressing need for better ways to bring students together in socially productive, enjoyable and memorable ways.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
One of them, Steve Edwards, a local safari camp manager, found new, productive sites on the shore of Lake Kariba, the artificial lake which forms most of the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Just got to keep going, try to be more productive, do what I need to do — but that’s out there playing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
"We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added, without providing additional details.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Since Fertile Crescent cereals were so productive in the wild, few additional changes had to be made in them under cultivation.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
