productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv 

prō-

1

: having the quality or power of producing especially in abundance

productive fishing waters

2

: effective in bringing about

investigating committees have been productive of much good

—R. K. Carr

3

a

: yielding results, benefits, or profits

b

: yielding or devoted to the satisfaction of wants or the creation of utilities

4

: continuing to be used in the formation of new words or constructions

un- is a productive prefix

5

: raising mucus or sputum (as from the bronchi)

a productive cough

productively adverb

productiveness noun

Synonyms

• constructive
• formative

Examples of productive in a Sentence

I had a very productive day.

I am most productive in the morning.

Some staff members are more productive than others.

Recent Examples on the Web

Investing in the right tools and encouraging team collaboration, along with regular check-ins and feedback, will help the team adjust and stay productive. —Expert Panel®, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

And three, being able to hang around and be productive. —Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024

Executives from Meta and Google have also touted their work in pushing AI agents to become increasingly productive. —Hayden Field, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024

What to watch: Talks between the two groups have more recently become productive, according to a Times spokesperson and a union representative. —Sara Fischer, Axios, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing productive

• hyper-productive

Kids Definition

productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv 

1

: having the power to produce plentifully

productive soil

productive fishing waters

2

: producing something

efforts productive of much good

3

: giving results

a productive meeting

productively adverb

productiveness noun

Medical Definition

productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv, prō- 

: raising mucus or sputum (as from the bronchi)

a productive cough