fertile

1 of 2

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

fertileness

2 of 2

noun

fer·​tile·​ness

plural -es

: fertility

Synonyms of fertile

Adjective

• 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

Adjective

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

Adjective

Scientists then release enough sterile flies to overwhelm the local fertile fly population. —Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 4 June 2026

The mass release of dud studs elbows out fertile males, preventing them from mating with females, which generally only mate once. —ArsTechnica, 3 June 2026

McDougall places this élitist, separatist tendency side by side with the more democratic, but no less fertile, creativity of the people who invented the city’s iconic dances. —Marina Harss, New Yorker, 3 June 2026

There’s fertile backstory there! —Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Phrases Containing fertile

• cross-fertile
• fertile soil
• self-fertile

Rhymes for fertile

• hurtle
• kirtle
• myrtle
• turtle
• infertile

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

Adjective

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