productive
getting a lot of useful work done
doing a lot of useful work or tasks in a short time
[someone/something] is productive
- I was very productive this morning and finished all my reports.
- She finds that she is more productive when she works from home.
- With fewer meetings, our team has become much more productive.
- A short break can help you stay productive all afternoon.
- He uses a task list to make his study time more productive.
- I had a very productive day at work.
- I am more productive in the early morning.
- This new app helps me be productive when I study.
- She wants to be productive and finish her project today.
- Good sleep makes me more productive the next day.
leading to useful or positive results
giving good and useful results from an activity, like a meeting or talk
a productive [meeting/discussion/session]
- We had a very productive meeting and agreed on a clear plan.
- The workshop was productive, and everyone left with concrete next steps.
- Their conversation was productive and helped resolve several misunderstandings.
- The two companies have built a long, productive partnership.
- Let’s keep this discussion focused so it stays productive.
- The class was productive because I learned many new things.
- It was a productive meeting, and we solved our main problem.
- Talking to my manager was productive, and now I know what to do.
- Group work can be productive when everyone helps.
- They had a productive discussion and made a decision.
producing a lot of goods or output
producing a large amount of things, such as food, goods, or materials
a productive [farm/factory/area]
- The valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the country.
- New equipment has made the factory far more productive.
- Irrigation turned the desert into highly productive farmland.
- The mine was once very productive, but its output has fallen in recent years.
- These waters are extremely productive fishing grounds.
- This field is very productive and grows a lot of rice.
- The new machines made the factory more productive.
- The land is not productive because there is little rain.
- Our farm was productive last year, and we sold many vegetables.
- The oil field is still productive after many years.
adding to economic value or growth
bringing real economic value, for example by creating goods or useful services
a productive [job/sector/investment]
- The government promised to shift spending from consumption to more productive investment.
- They argue that education is one of the most productive uses of public money.
- Policies that support small businesses can lead to more productive employment.
- We need to move capital into more productive sectors of the economy.
- Tax incentives were designed to encourage productive rather than speculative activity.
- The country needs more productive jobs, not just more jobs.
- Training workers can be a very productive use of money.
- The bank wants to lend to productive businesses.
- They moved their money into more productive investments.
- The government supports the productive sector of the economy.
forming new words or structures in language
used in language again and again to make new words or forms
a productive [suffix/pattern/rule]
- The suffix "-ness" is highly productive in forming nouns from adjectives in English.
- Reduplication is a productive morphological process in several Asian languages.
- This pattern is no longer productive and only appears in a few old word forms.
- Plural -s is one of the most productive rules in English morphology.
- The study examines which verb endings are currently productive among young speakers.
- The ending "-er" is productive in English; it makes many new nouns like "reader" and "writer."
- Some old word endings are not productive today.
- In this language, adding a small word before the verb is a productive pattern.
- The teacher said that this rule is very productive in modern English.
- A productive suffix can make many new words that people really use.
producing mucus or other bodily material
producing mucus or wet material, especially when talking about a cough
a productive [cough]
- The patient reported a productive cough with thick yellow sputum.
- A new, increasingly productive cough can be a sign of infection.
- She developed a chronic productive cough after years of smoking.
- Treatment reduced the severity of his productive cough within a week.
- A productive cough usually indicates that mucus is present in the airways.
- The doctor asked if my cough was dry or productive.
- He has a productive cough with a lot of mucus.
- A productive cough can be a sign of lung problems.
- After the medicine, her cough became less productive.
- A productive cough often means there is mucus in the chest.
causing or bringing about a result
causing a certain result, usually said as "productive of" something
[something] is productive of [result]
- Such remarks are hardly productive of mutual trust.
- The policy proved productive of many unintended consequences.
- Their strategy was productive of more tension than agreement.
- These changes are unlikely to be productive of real reform.
- Harsh criticism is rarely productive of improvement.
- This type of talk is not productive of peace.
- His behavior was productive of many problems.
- The rule was productive of confusion among students.
- The new law was productive of social change.
- Such actions are not productive of good results.
- Base: productive
be productive
1do a lot of useful work
to get many useful things done in a period of time
- I can’t be productive when my phone keeps buzzing.
- She’s usually most productive early in the morning.
make productive use of
1use something in a useful way
to use time, money, or something else in a way that gives good and useful results
- I tried to make productive use of the long flight by finishing my report.
- The company wants to make more productive use of its office space.
productive cough
1cough that produces mucus
a cough that brings up mucus or wet material from the chest
- The patient has had a productive cough for three days.
- A productive cough with green mucus may mean you have an infection.
productive day
1a day with many tasks completed
a day when you finish many useful tasks or jobs
- It was a very productive day; I finished all my assignments.
- I hope tomorrow will be a productive day at the office.
productive discussion
1discussion that leads to solutions or ideas
a talk where people share ideas and reach useful results or plans
- We had a very productive discussion about the new project.
- I’d like this to be a productive discussion, not an argument.
productive meeting
1meeting with clear useful results
a meeting that gives clear plans, ideas, or decisions and is not a waste of time
- Thanks for a really productive meeting this morning.
- Let’s keep the agenda short so we can have a productive meeting.