fertile

adjective

fer·​tile ˈfər-tᵊl 

chiefly British

-ˌtī(-ə)l 

1

a

: producing or bearing many crops in great quantities : productive

fertile fields of corn and oats

b

: characterized by great resourcefulness of thought or imagination : inventive

a fertile mind

c

obsolete : plentiful

2

a(1)

: capable of sustaining abundant plant growth

fertile soil

(2)

: affording abundant possibilities for growth or development

damp bathrooms are fertile ground for fungi

—Consumer Reports

a fertile area for research

b

: capable of growing or developing

a fertile egg

c(1)

: capable of producing fruit

fertile trees

(2)

of an anther : containing pollen

(3)

: developing spores or spore-bearing organs

d

: capable of breeding or reproducing

3

: capable of being converted into fissionable material

fertile uranium 238

fertilely

ˈfər-tᵊl-(l)ē 

adverb

fertileness

ˈfər-tᵊl-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• cornucopian
• fat
• fecund
• fructuous
• fruitful
• lush
• luxuriant
• productive
• prolific
• rich

Choose the Right Synonym for fertile

fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit.

fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth

fertile soil

; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development.

a fertile imagination

fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results.

fruitful research

prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

Examples of fertile in a Sentence

an area that is a fertile breeding ground for political extremism

This subject remains a fertile field for additional investigation.

He has a fertile mind.

Recent Examples on the Web

Once a rapidly growing Latin American economy, and fertile ground for influential indie pop and neoperreo movements, Chile has become the center of socio-political discord that’s swept the region over the last several years. —Richard Villegas, Rolling Stone, 1 Apr. 2024

Inaugurated in late 2022, the metro museum in Piraeus is the latest phase of the subway project that began in 1992 and has become the city’s largest and most fertile archaeological dig. —Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2024

His soil is considered some of the nation’s most fertile. —Patrick Cooley, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Speaking with the Los Angeles Times, the executive director pointed out that Jackie and Shadow are 10 and 12, respectively, and have many fertile years in their future. —Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024

While there’s a seemingly fertile idea in watching how an autocracy crumbles from within and without, as unchecked power breeds a kind of insanity, the more cerebral aspects largely get lost in the show’s eccentricities, overwhelming any sense of nuance. —Brian Lowry, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

The region's rapid adoption of AI technologies is propelled by the digital revolution, fostering a fertile ground for businesses to innovate and thrive. —Aleks Farseev, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

This power imbalance, coupled with a lack of transparency and the potential for corruption, creates fertile ground for exploitation, Adesina said. —Taiwo Adebayo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024

Tom Hanks, who has helped producer documentary series about U.S. unrest in the 1960s and travels to the moon, will return to some of the most fertile ground in his unscripted career. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin fertilis, from ferre to carry, bear — more at bear

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fertile

• cross-fertile
• self-fertile
• fertile soil

Kids Definition

fertile

adjective

fer·​tile ˈfərt-ᵊl 

1

: producing vegetation or crops plentifully : rich

fertile farmland

2

: producing thoughts and ideas abundantly

a fertile mind

3

a

: capable of growing and developing

a fertile seed

b

: capable of reproducing or of producing reproductive cells

a fertile bull

fertile fungal hyphae

fertility

(ˌ)fər-ˈtil-ət-ē

noun

Etymology

Middle English fertile "bearing in abundance, productive," from early French fertile and Latin fertilis (both same meaning), from Latin ferre "to bear, carry, yield, produce" — related to defer entry 1, transfer

Medical Definition

fertile

adjective

fer·​tile

ˈfərt-ᵊl, chiefly British ˈfər-ˌtīl

1

: capable of growing or developing

fertile egg

2

: developing spores or spore-bearing organs

3

a

: capable of breeding or reproducing

b

of an estrous cycle : marked by the production of one or more viable eggs