fruitful

adjective

fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl How to pronounce fruitful (audio)
1
a
: yielding or producing fruit
fruitful soil
b
: conducive to an abundant yield
fruitful rain
2
: abundantly productive
a fruitful discussion
a fruitful career
fruitfully adverb
fruitfulness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for fruitful

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 fruitful in a Sentence

We had a fruitful discussion about the problems with the schedule. a very fruitful tree that gives us plenty of apples every year
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.
The trip proved fruitful: Many of the house’s stunning crystal chandeliers, decorative objets, and Art Deco furniture pieces were Paris finds. Catherine Hong, Architectural Digest, 10 Dec. 2024 The advantages make business alliances exciting and even invaluable, often proving more fruitful than solely economic benefits. Jim O'Brien, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024 Russia needs Iran in order to sustain its war effort in Ukraine and evade Western sanctions; so the more Israel can damage Iran, the less fruitful Moscow’s ties to Tehran will be. Niall Ferguson, The Atlantic, 10 Dec. 2024 And an annual conference in Las Vegas that usually yields fruitful discussions was instead dominated by accusations and concerns about possible litigation. Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fruitful 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English fruitful, fruiteful, frutefull, from fruit, frute fruit entry 1 + -ful, -full -ful entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fruitful was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near fruitful

Cite this Entry

“Fruitful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fruitful. Accessed 14 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

fruitful

adjective
fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl How to pronounce fruitful (audio)
1
: yielding or producing fruit
2
a
: very productive
a fruitful soil
b
: bringing results
a fruitful idea
fruitfully adverb
fruitfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fruitful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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