unproductive

adjective

un·​pro·​duc·​tive ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce unproductive (audio)
-prō-
: not effective in bringing something about : not yielding results, benefits, or profits : not productive
unproductive meetings
unproductive strategies
unproductive workers

Examples of unproductive in a Sentence

crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
When wells proved unproductive or dry, companies often transferred ownership to landowners who repurposed them as water wells. Alejandra Martinez The Texas Tribune, arkansasonline.com, 9 Feb. 2025 Smith, the president of Local 1, which represents VA employees in California, said his members were angered that the Human Resources Department of the federal government suggested their work caring for veterans was unproductive. William Melhado, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2025 Johnson’s performance during the Speaker election will speak to his ability to wrangle his conference over the next two years, after the last Congress was marked by Republican infighting and unproductive legislative sessions. Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 3 Jan. 2025 And under Smith's leadership, Blue was litigious, slow, and unproductive. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 27 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unproductive 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unproductive was circa 1676

Dictionary Entries Near unproductive

Cite this Entry

“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unproductive. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.

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