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

What To Know The 13 million acres of federal land for potential coal mining leases could be made available in states such as Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Alabama and North Dakota—a number of existing and historically productive coal regions. —John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Is the proliferation of these events that claim to be global—that is to say, inclusive—productive or not? —Simon Njami, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2025

Hischier, on the other hand, was more productive on both ends of the ice without him. —The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2025

The authors argued that Zoom meetings, which seem more efficient, actually make workers less productive while adding to the length of their average workday, meaning that productivity per hour is actually down. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 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