productive

[ pruh-duhk-tiv ]

adjective

1. having the power of producing; generative; creative:

   a productive effort.

2. producing readily or abundantly; fertile:

   a productive vineyard.

   Synonyms: fecund

   Antonyms: sterile

3. causing; bringing about (usually followed by of ):

   conditions productive of crime and sin.

4. Economics. producing or tending to produce goods and services having exchange value.
5. Grammar. (of derivational affixes or patterns) readily used in forming new words, as the suffix -ness.
6. (in language learning) of or relating to the language skills of speaking and writing ( receptive ).

productive

/ prəˈdʌktɪv /

adjective

1. producing or having the power to produce; fertile
2. yielding favourable or effective results
3. economics
   1. producing or capable of producing goods and services that have monetary or exchange value

      productive assets

   2. of or relating to such production

      the productive processes of an industry

4. postpositivefoll byof resulting in

   productive of good results

5. denoting an affix or combining form used to produce new words

Derived Forms

• proˈductively, adverb
• proˈductiveness, noun

Other Words From

• pro·ductive·ly adverb
• pro·ductive·ness noun
• pro·duc·tiv·i·ty [proh-duhk-, tiv, -i-tee], noun
• anti·pro·ductive adjective
• anti·pro·ductive·ly adverb
• semi·pro·ductive adjective
• semi·pro·ductive·ly adverb
• unpro·ductive adjective
• unpro·ductive·ly adverb
• unpro·ductive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of productive¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from the Medieval Latin word productīvus; product, -ive

Synonym Study

Productive, fertile, fruitful, prolific apply to the generative aspect of something. Productive refers to a generative source of continuing activity: productive soil; a productive influence. Fertile applies to that in which seeds, literal or figurative, take root: fertile soil; a fertile imagination. Fruitful refers to that which has already produced and is capable of further production: fruitful soil, discovery, theory. Prolific means highly productive: a prolific farm, writer.

Example Sentences

There are now more than 8,000 different C4 plant species, which grow particularly well in hot, dry climates and are some of the most productive crop species in the world.

From Science Daily

Now, for the first time ever, Salk scientists and collaborators at the University of Cambridge discovered a key step C4 plants like sorghum needed to take to evolve to become so efficient at photosynthesizing -- and how we could use this information to make crops like rice, wheat, and soybeans more productive and resilient against our warming climate.

From Science Daily

"Answering this question is a huge step toward understanding how we can make the most robust and productive crops possible in the face of climate change and a growing global population."

From Science Daily

"The ultimate goal is to try to switch C4 photosynthesis on and, in turn, create more productive and resilient crops for the future."

From Science Daily

After years of him spending every free minute on the farm, his orchard became productive and profitable enough to sustain itself.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advantageous
• beneficial
• constructive
• dynamic
• effective
• energetic
• fertile
• gratifying
• profitable
• prolific
• rewarding
• useful
• valuable
• vigorous
• worthwhile