productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv 

prō-

1

: having the quality or power of producing especially in abundance

productive fishing waters

2

: effective in bringing about

investigating committees have been productive of much good

—R. K. Carr

3

a

: yielding results, benefits, or profits

b

: yielding or devoted to the satisfaction of wants or the creation of utilities

4

: continuing to be used in the formation of new words or constructions

un- is a productive prefix

5

: raising mucus or sputum (as from the bronchi)

a productive cough

productively adverb

productiveness noun

Synonyms

• creative
• constructive

Examples of productive in a Sentence

I had a very productive day.

I am most productive in the morning.

Some staff members are more productive than others.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Chicago Cubs’ president of baseball operations had completed a series of sensible deals that were both productive and a little underwhelming. —Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2025

Marte has been productive when healthy over the last few months, and McNeil has seen the bulk of his playing time in center field. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 1 Aug. 2025

But the entire castle can't be actively productive at once. —Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025

This isn’t an ideal transit for warrior-like Mars, but if harnessed correctly, this transit can be amicably productive. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing productive

• hyper-productive

Rhymes for productive

• abductive
• conductive
• constructive
• deductive
• destructive
• inductive
• instructive
• obstructive
• reductive
• seductive
• counterproductive
• photoconductive

Kids Definition

productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv 

1

: having the power to produce plentifully

productive soil

productive fishing waters

2

: producing something

efforts productive of much good

3

: giving results

a productive meeting

productively adverb

productiveness noun

Medical Definition

productive

adjective

pro·​duc·​tive prə-ˈdək-tiv, prō- 

: raising mucus or sputum (as from the bronchi)

a productive cough