Productive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /pɹəˈdʌk.tɪv/

Definitions

1. Capable of generating or achieving substantial results, output, or useful work efficiently
2. Characterized by the ability to yield meaningful results, create valuable outcomes, and generate effective work efforts
3. Having the ability to produce a large amount or high quality of work, results, or goods

Etymology: "Productive" travels a long way from its Latin roots: the core verb is "prōdūcere," literally "to lead forth," built from "prō-" (forward) and "dūcere" (to lead). The Latin noun "productum" is what was led forth, a thing brought into being, and from it Late Latin formed "prōductīvus," meaning something that brings forth or yields. English borrowed that adjective, and the sense of abundant output came with it. The word is a straightforward construction: "product" plus the suffix "-ive," which turns a noun base into an adjective meaning "tending toward" or "having the quality of." So a productive worker is, in the most literal sense, one who tends toward bringing things forth. The same "dūcere" root appears in "conduct," "reduce," "induce" and "aqueduct," all of them variations on the idea of leading something along a path.

Synonyms: fertile, fruitful, efficient, constructive, profitable

Antonyms: unproductive, inefficient, barren