English Reference
adjective

productive

adj.
US /pɝˈdəktɪv/ UK /pɹədˈʌktɪv/ pro·duc·tive

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    doing or achieving a lot of work in a short time.

    achieving or producing a significant amount or yield; characterized by high efficiency and output.

    Simple

    I had a very productive morning and finished all my emails before lunch.

    In context

    The research team enjoyed a highly productive decade, publishing over fifty papers in peer-reviewed journals and securing several major patents.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    leading to a good or useful result.

    yielding positive, useful, or constructive results in a professional or social context.

    Simple

    We had a productive meeting and finally agreed on a new plan.

    In context

    Despite their initial disagreements, the two diplomats engaged in a productive dialogue that eventually led to a formal ceasefire.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced AcademicTechnical Linguistics

    used to describe a rule or ending that can be used to make many new words.

    referring to a linguistic rule or morpheme that is currently used by speakers to form new words or grammatical structures.

    Simple

    The suffix '-ness' is very productive because you can add it to many adjectives to make nouns.

    In context

    While some plural endings in English are fossilized, the '-s' suffix remains highly productive, being applied automatically to almost any new noun entering the language.

    unproductivefossilized
  4. 04 C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

    a type of cough that produces mucus or phlegm.

    characterized by the production of mucus or sputum from the respiratory tract.

    Simple

    The doctor asked if his cough was dry or productive.

    In context

    The patient presented with a productive cough and chest pain, suggesting a possible lower respiratory tract infection rather than a simple viral cold.

    wetchesty
    drynon productive

A player to avoid - an asset unlikely to justify their price tag or be productive enough to win your league.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

He suggests legislating in favour of “worker AI”, by which employees could use expert systems based on machine-learning to help them be more productive, so that nurses, for instance, could take more medical decisions.

The Guardian· 7 Aug 2026

Borrowed from Late Latin productivus, equivalent to product + -ive.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated