productivity

American  

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

noun

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

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

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

The promise of continued labor productivity growth should also help keep any potential stagflation under control.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

Perhaps in a few decades artificial intelligence and robots will do most jobs, and advances in productivity will bring huge gains in wealth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

By analyzing cognitive performance over hours of work, researchers estimated that being above or below your usual level of sharpness could shift productivity by about 30 to 40 minutes in a single day.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, Wall Street continued its trend of cheering news of large layoffs in the technology sector, which investors see as a sign of companies embracing AI to boost employee productivity.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026

Pieces such as Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring or Orff’s Carmina Burana, for example, would not be good choices as they are likely to promote agitation and frenetic activity rather than concentration and productivity.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Related Words

• capacity
• fertility
• production
• yield