productive

UK: /prəˈdʌktɪv/ US: /prəˈdʌktɪv/ ,(prə duk′tiv)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•duc•tive /prəˈdʌktɪv/   adj. 

1. that produces a large amount:
   a very productive writer.
2. producing a useful result:
   a very productive meeting.
pro•duc•tive•ly, adv. 
pro•duc•tive•ness, n. [uncountable] See -duc-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

pro•duc•tive  (prə duk′tiv), adj. 

1. having the power of producing; generative;
   creative:
   a productive effort.
2. producing readily or abundantly;
   fertile:
   a productive vineyard.
3. causing;
   bringing about (usually fol. by of ):
   conditions productive of crime and sin.
4. Business [Econ.] 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. Linguistics, Education (in language learning) of or pertaining to the language skills of speaking and writing (opposed to receptive).

• Medieval Latin productīvus. See product, -ive
• 1605–15

pro•duc′tive•ly, adv. 
pro•duc′tive•ness, n. 
pro•duc•tiv•i•ty  (prō′duk tiv′i tē), n.  Synonyms

• 2. fecund.
  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.

Antonyms

• 2. sterile.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

productive / prəˈdʌktɪv/ adjective

1. producing or having the power to produce; fertile
2. yielding favourable or effective results
3. producing or capable of producing goods and services that have monetary or exchange value
4. of or relating to such production: the productive processes of an industry
5. (postpositive) followed by of: resulting in: productive of good results

proˈductively adverb

proˈductiveness noun