fruitful

adjective

fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl 

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

ˈfrüt-fə-lē 

adverb

fruitfulness noun

Synonyms

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

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

While league commissioner Cathy Engelbert looked forward to fruitful negotiations, the players’ union leader Terri Carmichael Jackson remained steadfast on making gains for her charges. —Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 23 Oct. 2024

The year 1986 proved to be fruitful on several fronts for Valenzuela. —Ed Guzman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024

As a concept, a stubborn woman in her 60s who's forced to collaborate with a 20-something and redefine her own family is a fruitful setup for sitcom plots and deep characters. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 18 Oct. 2024

During the 19th century middle-class women increasingly set aside the biblical injunction to be fruitful and multiply, and instead lovingly cultivated a small number of children into good citizens of the new republic. —Lara Freidenfelds / Made By History, TIME, 15 Oct. 2024

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

Phrases Containing fruitful

• self-fruitful

Kids Definition

fruitful

adjective

fruit·​ful ˈfrüt-fəl 

1

: yielding or producing fruit

2

a

: very productive

a fruitful soil

b

: bringing results

a fruitful idea

fruitfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

fruitfulness noun