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 of productive

• 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

Dak Prescott enters Thursday’s prime-time Thanksgiving clash with 2,941 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and seven interceptions through 11 games — numbers that have him among the NFL's most productive QBs this season. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

The second of those was behind the back to Nnaji, who cashed another 3-ball to finish up a productive night as Adelman’s ninth man. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2025

With the swagger and confidence of peaceful warriors, each character in the film conveys a self-awareness of their inherent value as productive and fully engaged members of society. —James Edward Mills, Outside, 25 Nov. 2025

Realizing these gains will require reimagining work itself—rethinking processes, roles, and culture so that people and intelligent machines can work together to become far more productive. —Anu Madgavkar, Fortune, 25 Nov. 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