prolific
[pruh-lif-ik]
- 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.
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Origin of prolific
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.comAntonyms
1. barren.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
abundancepotencyproductivitypubertyrichnessproductivenessfecunditygravidityvirilityfruitfulnesspregnancycopiousnessluxuriancepubescenceprolificnessprolificityExamples from the Web for prolificacy
Historical Examples
The advantages of prolificacy are so apparent that it is unnecessary to dilate upon them.
The Making of SpeciesDouglas Dewar
These are not so much specialised structure as courage, a good constitution, mental capacity and prolificacy.
The Making of SpeciesDouglas Dewar
prolific
- producing fruit, offspring, etc, in abundance
- producing constant or successful results
- (often foll by in or of) rich or fruitful
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Word Origin
C17: from Medieval Latin prōlificus, from Latin prōlēs offspring
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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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]
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper