productivity

American  

[proh-duhk-tiv-i-tee, prod-uhk‑] / ˌproʊ dʌkˈtɪv ɪ ti, ˌprɒd ʌk‑ /

noun

productivities plural

1. the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services.

   The productivity of the group's effort surprised everyone.

2. Economics. the rate at which goods and services having exchange value are brought forth or produced.

   Productivity increased dramatically last year.

3. Grammar. the ability to form new words using established patterns and discrete linguistic elements, as the derivational affixes -ness and -ity,

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productivity British  

/ ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪtɪ /

noun

1. the output of an industrial concern in relation to the materials, labour, etc, it employs

2. the state of being productive

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productivity Cultural  

1. In business, a measure of worker efficiency, such as one hundred units per hour. In economics, involvement in the creation of goods and services to produce wealth.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonproductivity
  noun
• semiproductivity
  noun
• unproductivity
  noun
• antiproductivity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• productivities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of productivity

First recorded in 1800–10; productiv(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Use the noun productivity to describe how much you can get done. Your boss at work probably keeps track of your productivity — meaning he’s checking to see how much work you do and how well you do it. The word productivity is often used in the workplace. It can describe the performance of individual workers, a department, or even an entire industry. You’ll often hear it used with a percentage. Your boss might come in with a smile and say that productivity has increased by 30 percent. Productivity is also frequently used in relation to farming. If you live in a farming community you likely hear news reports about agricultural productivity in your area.

Example Sentences

"I am confident we will accelerate growth, drive productivity and future-fit Heineken, winning the hearts of consumers worldwide," Oliveira said in the statement.

From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026

“We think the most credible upside stories rely on AI-related companies capturing a higher share of AI-related productivity gains than normal,” the strategists said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 23, 2026

Greenspan leaned against that view, arguing that improving productivity would allow the economy to ride out the growth without pushing prices drastically higher.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

In one of his greatest insights, Greenspan came early to realize that the worker productivity boom fueled by the rise of the internet had profound inflation-damping side effects.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

Here are some of the conclusions that I gleaned from conversations with McKinsey executives and from their reports: We Americans often fantasize that German and Japanese industries are super-efficient, exceeding American industries in productivity.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• capacity
• fertility
• production
• yield