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definitions

prolific

[ pruh-lif-ik ]
/ prəˈlɪf ɪk /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR prolific ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

producing offspring, young, fruit, etc., abundantly; highly fruitful: a prolific pear tree.
producing in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive: a prolific writer.
profusely productive or fruitful (often followed by in or of): a bequest prolific of litigations.
characterized by abundant production: a prolific year for tomatoes.

RELATED WORDS

abundance, potency, productivity, puberty, richness, productiveness, fecundity, gravidity, virility, fruitfulness, pregnancy, copiousness, luxuriance, pubescence, prolificness, prolificity

Nearby words

  1. proliferative fasciitis,
  2. proliferative gingivitis,
  3. proliferative inflammation,
  4. proliferative retinopathy,
  5. proliferous,
  6. proligerous,
  7. prolinase,
  8. proline,
  9. proline dipeptidase,
  10. proline iminopeptidase

Origin of prolific

First recorded in 1640–50, prolific is from the Medieval Latin word prōlificus fertile. See prolicide, -fic
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for prolificacy

  • These are not so much specialised structure as courage, a good constitution, mental capacity and prolificacy.

    The Making of Species|Douglas Dewar

  • The advantages of prolificacy are so apparent that it is unnecessary to dilate upon them.

    The Making of Species|Douglas Dewar

British Dictionary definitions for prolificacy

prolific

/ (prəˈlɪfɪk) /

adjective

producing fruit, offspring, etc, in abundance
producing constant or successful results
(often foll by in or of) rich or fruitful
Derived Formsprolifically, adverbprolificness or prolificacy, noun

Word Origin for prolific

C17: from Medieval Latin prōlificus, from Latin prōlēs offspring
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for prolificacy

prolific

adj.

1640s, from French prolifique (16c.), from Medieval Latin prolificus, from Latin proles "offspring" + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Latin proles is contracted from *pro-oles, from PIE *pro-al-, from *pro- "forth" (see pro-) + *al- "to grow, nourish" (see old). Related: Prolifical (c.1600).

Prolific is in common use, but to make a satisfactory noun from it has passed the wit of man. [Fowler]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper