pro·lif·ic
prə-ˈli-fik 
1
: marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity
a prolific composer
And over the course of her prolific career, [Alice] Walker has gone on to write over 40 genre-spanning books.—
Rayna Reid Rayford
Rayna Reid Rayford2
: producing young or fruit especially freely : fruitful
The half-inch blooms are round and prolific, borne atop leafy stems.—Adrian Higgins
Adrian Higgins3
archaic
: causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction
plural -es
: the quality or state of being prolific
the emergence of paperback books in a prolificacy unknown on these shores—Times Literary Supplement
Times Literary Supplement
especially
: the quality or state of producing young in large numbers or at frequent intervals
the prolificacy of rabbits
Examples of prolific in a Sentence
Adjective
Since [David] Mamet is a prolific writer of Hollywood screenplays, there are today more people who know his work than know that they know it.
—Juliet Fleming, Times Literary Supplement, 18 Feb. 2000
The main rival to his pneumonia was the prolific thrush which went into his throat and stomach.
—Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, 1993
A writer as established and prolific as Joyce Carol Oates can approach her material in a wealth of ways unavailable to the more plodding.
—Jane Smiley, New York Times Book Review, 5 May 1991
Here there are … restaurants, wine bars, bookshops, estate agents more prolific than doctors, and attractive people in black, few of them aging.
—Hanif Kureishi, Granta 22, Autumn 1987
a famously prolific author who could produce several works of fiction and nonfiction a year
Juliet Fleming, Times Literary Supplement, 18 Feb. 2000
The main rival to his pneumonia was the prolific thrush which went into his throat and stomach.
—Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, 1993
A writer as established and prolific as Joyce Carol Oates can approach her material in a wealth of ways unavailable to the more plodding.
—Jane Smiley, New York Times Book Review, 5 May 1991
Here there are … restaurants, wine bars, bookshops, estate agents more prolific than doctors, and attractive people in black, few of them aging.
—Hanif Kureishi, Granta 22, Autumn 1987
a famously prolific author who could produce several works of fiction and nonfiction a year
Recent Examples on the Web
Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks will narrate portions of the audio tour for the presidential library, and prolific voice actor Cree Summer will narrate a family-centric guide.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
While 40% of the earth’s land mass consists of grassland, with grass family members being highly prolific monocots, the ratio of dicots to monocots is roughly 3 to 1, with 200,000 dicot versus 60-70,000 monocot species in existence.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
But ultimately, the support for Rosen — through his prolific high-profile endorsements and corresponding fundraising advantage — along with the historical strength of incumbency in this countywide office, appear to have carried him to re-election.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prolific
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Adjective
Nico Paz, attacking midfielder, Argentina The 2022 World Cup champions already have an abundance of attacking talent headlined by the legendary Lionel Messi and prolific strikers Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez.
—Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
Oprah Winfrey and Tom Hanks will narrate portions of the audio tour for the presidential library, and prolific voice actor Cree Summer will narrate a family-centric guide.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
While 40% of the earth’s land mass consists of grassland, with grass family members being highly prolific monocots, the ratio of dicots to monocots is roughly 3 to 1, with 200,000 dicot versus 60-70,000 monocot species in existence.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 4 June 2026
But ultimately, the support for Rosen — through his prolific high-profile endorsements and corresponding fundraising advantage — along with the historical strength of incumbency in this countywide office, appear to have carried him to re-election.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prolific
Cite this Entry
“Prolific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolific. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prolific
adjective
pro·lif·ic
prə-ˈlif-ik
1
: producing young or fruit in large numbers
a prolific orchard
2
: highly inventive : productive
a prolific writer
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