fertility
gb/fɚtˈɪlɪti/ us/fɚtˈɪlɪti/
B2
English
~ 8100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
property
1
ability to have children
The ability of a man or woman to have a baby, or of an animal to have young.
Usage pattern:
the fertility of [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'fertility' (the ability to have babies) with 'fertilizer' (a substance added to soil to help plants grow). These words look similar but have very different meanings.
Synonyms
reproductiveness (More technical and less common; focuses on the biological process of reproducing.)
|
ability to conceive (Informal descriptive phrase that focuses specifically on becoming pregnant.)
Antonyms
infertility (Standard medical opposite; means being unable to conceive children.)
|
sterility (Suggests a complete and usually permanent inability to reproduce.)
Collocations
female fertility
|male fertility
|fertility treatment
|fertility problems
|fertility specialist
|fertility clinic
Themes
health
|family
|biology
|body
Examples
- The couple decided to see a doctor to check their fertility.
- Female fertility generally begins to decline after the age of thirty-five.
- Environmental pollution may negatively affect male fertility.
- Advances in medicine have improved fertility for many patients with hormonal problems.
Learner examples
- They are worried about their fertility after many years with no baby.
- Smoking can reduce a man's fertility.
- The doctor says her fertility is normal for her age.
- Some people travel abroad for help with their fertility.
Noun
B2
property
2
ability of soil to grow crops
How rich and strong soil or land is, so that many plants can grow in it.
Usage pattern:
the fertility of [soil/land]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to say 'a fertility soil' or 'very fertility land'. Use 'fertile' as the adjective ('fertile soil') and 'fertility' as the noun ('the fertility of the soil').
Synonyms
productivity (More general; can describe how much anything produces, not only soil.)
|
richness (More descriptive and less technical; suggests high nutrient content in the soil.)
Antonyms
infertility (In agriculture, describes land that cannot produce crops well.)
|
barrenness (Stresses that land is bare or unable to support plant life.)
Collocations
soil fertility
|land fertility
|maintain fertility
|fertility of the land
|declining soil fertility
Themes
agriculture
|environment
|science
|nature
|food_drink
Examples
- Farmers add compost to improve the fertility of the soil.
- Years of intensive farming have reduced the fertility of the land.
- Regular flooding of the river helps to restore soil fertility in the valley.
- Scientists are studying how climate change affects soil fertility worldwide.
Learner examples
- The soil has low fertility, so plants do not grow well.
- They use animal waste to increase soil fertility.
- Rain and dead leaves help keep the fertility of the forest floor.
- Good soil fertility is important for growing food.
Noun
technical
C1
quantity
3
birth rate in a population
How many children are born in a group of people, usually shown as a number for the whole country or population.
Usage pattern:
fertility in [a population/group]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this use of 'fertility' is about one person. In this sense, it describes birth levels in a whole population or country, not the medical ability of a single man or woman to have a baby.
Synonyms
birth rate (More general and common in everyday language; may refer to births per year rather than children per woman.)
Antonyms
population decline (Describes a shrinking population, often caused by sustained low fertility.)
Collocations
fertility rate
|declining fertility
|low fertility
|high fertility
|replacement-level fertility
|population fertility
Themes
demography
|economics
|society
|science
|politics
Examples
- Many European countries are facing economic challenges due to low fertility.
- Government policies can influence national fertility rates over time.
- The report predicted that fertility would remain below replacement level for several decades.
- Rising education levels are often linked to declining fertility in developing countries.
Learner examples
- In this country, fertility is very low, so the population is getting older.
- The fertility rate fell after the economic crisis.
- Some governments pay money to families to increase fertility.
- High fertility can make it hard for poor countries to provide enough jobs.
Noun
formal
C1
property
4
ability to produce many ideas
The power to create many new and often good ideas, works, or results.
Usage pattern:
the fertility of [someone's] imagination/mind
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'fertility' always refers to babies or land. In this formal use, it is figurative and refers to producing many ideas or creative works.
Synonyms
creativity (Broader and more common; refers generally to the ability to create new things, not only to the amount produced.)
|
productiveness (Emphasizes high output, not necessarily originality or imagination.)
Antonyms
sterility (Used figuratively to describe a lack of new ideas or creative energy.)
|
barrenness (Figurative; stresses an absence of ideas, inspiration, or results.)
Collocations
fertility of imagination
|artistic fertility
|creative fertility
|intellectual fertility
|fertility of ideas
Themes
creativity
|art
|thinking
|arts_entertainment
|education
Examples
- The fertility of her imagination impressed everyone on the design team.
- That decade was a period of great artistic fertility for the director.
- The conference showed the fertility of new ideas in the field of renewable energy.
- His essays are valued for their intellectual fertility as well as their clear style.
Learner examples
- The writer is famous for the fertility of his ideas.
- This time in her life had great creative fertility.
- The team's mental fertility helped them find a new solution.
- The teacher praised the fertility of the students' imaginations.
Grammar
Dictionary form
fertility
IPA
GB/fɚtˈɪlɪti/
US/fɚtˈɪlɪti/
Syllables & stress
fer - til - ity (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fer)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: fertility
- Plural: fertilities, fertility
Word family
Forms
fertilities
noun
Core family
Related words
fertilization
noun
Expressions
fertility clinic
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti klˈɪnɪk/
fixed phrase
clinic for fertility problems
A medical place where doctors help people who have trouble having a baby.
Examples
- The couple made an appointment at a fertility clinic in the city.
- Many fertility clinics now offer counseling as well as medical tests.
- She works as a nurse at a private fertility clinic.
fertility drugs
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti dɹˈʌɡz/
fixed phrase
medicines to help pregnancy
Medicines that help a woman release eggs or help a couple have a baby more easily.
Examples
- Her doctor prescribed fertility drugs to stimulate ovulation.
- Fertility drugs can increase the chance of having twins or triplets.
- They decided to try fertility drugs before considering surgery.
fertility goddess
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti ɡˈɑdɛs/
fixed phrase
literary
goddess of birth and growth
A female god in old stories who is responsible for new life, babies, and growing plants.
Examples
- In many ancient cultures, people worshipped a fertility goddess to ensure good harvests.
- The statue is believed to represent a prehistoric fertility goddess.
- Myths about the fertility goddess often link human birth and the cycle of the seasons.
fertility issues
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti ˈɪʃuz/
fixed phrase
problems with having children
A polite way to talk about problems with having a baby.
Examples
- She spoke honestly about her fertility issues in her book.
- Many couples face fertility issues but do not talk about them.
- Support groups can help people dealing with fertility issues.
fertility problems
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti pɹˈɑbləmz/
fixed phrase
difficulty having children
Health problems that make it hard for a man or woman to have a baby.
Examples
- About one in six couples experience fertility problems.
- He spoke openly about their fertility problems in the interview.
- Fertility problems can be caused by issues in either partner.
fertility rate
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
number of children per woman
The average number of children born to each woman, or the level of births in a population, usually shown as a number in reports.
Examples
- The country's fertility rate has dropped below two children per woman.
- A very low fertility rate can lead to a shrinking workforce.
- The report compares fertility rates across different regions.
fertility specialist
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti spˈɛʃəlɪst/
fixed phrase
doctor for fertility issues
A doctor who is trained to help people who cannot get pregnant easily.
Examples
- Their family doctor referred them to a fertility specialist.
- The fertility specialist recommended further tests before starting treatment.
- She became a fertility specialist after training in reproductive medicine.
fertility treatment
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti tɹˈitmənt/
fixed phrase
medical help to have a baby
Medical care, such as drugs or special procedures, that helps people who cannot get pregnant easily to have a baby.
Examples
- They decided to try fertility treatment after two years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive.
- Fertility treatment can be expensive and is not always covered by insurance.
- Some couples travel abroad to access cheaper fertility treatments.
fertility window
1/fɚtˈɪlɪti wˈɪndoʊ/
fixed phrase
technical
days when pregnancy is most likely
The few days in a woman's monthly cycle when she can most easily get pregnant.
Examples
- Apps can help women track their fertility window.
- They planned intercourse around her fertility window to increase their chances.
- Understanding the fertility window is important both for and against pregnancy.
soil fertility
1/sˈɔɪl fɚtˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
ability of soil to grow plants
How good the soil is for growing plants and crops.
Examples
- Crop rotation is important for maintaining soil fertility.
- Deforestation can quickly reduce soil fertility in tropical regions.
- The scientist gave a talk on soil fertility and food security.