fertile

[ fur-tlor, especially British, -tahyl ]

adjective

1. bearing, producing, or capable of producing vegetation, crops, etc., abundantly; prolific:

   fertile soil.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund

   Antonyms: barren, sterile

2. bearing or capable of bearing offspring.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund

   Antonyms: barren, sterile

3. abundantly productive:

   a fertile imagination.

   Synonyms: teeming, fecund

   Antonyms: barren, sterile

4. producing an abundance (usually followed by of or in ):

   a land fertile of wheat.

5. conducive to productiveness:

   fertile showers.

6. Biology.
   1. fertilized, as an egg or ovum; fecundated.
   2. capable of growth or development, as seeds or eggs.
7. Botany.
   1. capable of producing sexual reproductive structures.
   2. capable of causing fertilization, as an anther with fully developed pollen.
   3. having spore-bearing organs, as a frond.
8. Physics. (of a nuclide) capable of being transmuted into a fissile nuclide by irradiation with neutrons: Compare fissile ( def 2 ).

   Uranium 238 and thorium 232 are fertile nuclides.

9. produced in abundance.

fertile

/ ˈfɜːtaɪl /

adjective

1. capable of producing offspring
2. 1. (of land) having nutrients capable of sustaining an abundant growth of plants
   2. (of farm animals) capable of breeding stock
3. biology
   1. capable of undergoing growth and development

      fertile seeds

      fertile eggs

   2. (of plants) capable of producing gametes, spores, seeds, or fruits
4. producing many offspring; prolific
5. highly productive; rich; abundant

   a fertile brain

6. physics (of a substance) able to be transformed into fissile or fissionable material, esp in a nuclear reactor
7. conducive to productiveness

   fertile rain

fertile

/ fûr′tl /

1. Capable of producing offspring, seeds, or fruit.
2. Capable of developing into a complete organism; fertilized.
3. Capable of supporting plant life; favorable to the growth of crops and plants.

Derived Forms

• ˈfertileness, noun
• ˈfertilely, adverb

Other Words From

• fertile·ly adverb
• fertile·ness noun
• half-fertile adjective
• half-fertile·ly adverb
• half-fertile·ness noun
• non·fertile adjective
• over·fertile adjective
• pre·fertile adjective
• un·fertile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertile¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English (from Middle French ), from Latin fertilis “fruitful,” akin to ferre “to bear”; bear ¹, -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of fertile¹

C15: from Latin fertilis , from ferre to bear

Synonym Study

See productive.

Example Sentences

Calling for that type of regulation would actually support free speech, destroy media monopolies and provide us with a fertile ground of vetted facts that could lead to cogent, meaningful discussion on issues of public debate.

From Salon

The success of Koch’s approach inadvertently led to the United States' most fertile breeding ground for punters being on the other side of the world.

From BBC

Written in 1985, "The Handmaid's Tale" presents a totalitarian society known as Gilead in which fertile women are enslaved and sexually assaulted in order to bear children for the ruling class.

From Salon

An intense bombing campaign has broadened far beyond the country’s southern border villages and the capital Beirut, to towns in the fertile Bekaa and the historic city of Baalbek, principally Shia areas, where Hezbollah was founded.

From BBC

The pair formed a fertile partnership, with Sinatra calling him "a giant" and "one of the finest musicians I've ever known".

From BBC

Related Words

• abundant
• arable
• fruitful
• lush
• productive
• rich