productive

gb/pɹədˈʌktɪv/ us/pɹədˈʌktɪv/

B1 Inglese

~ 8000

Accezioni

0 accezioni

adjective B1 property

getting a lot of useful work done

doing a lot of useful work or tasks in a short time

Schema d'uso: [someone/something] is productive

Errore comune:

Learners sometimes confuse "productive" with "busy." Someone can be busy but not productive. "Productive" means you actually finish useful tasks, not just that you are doing many things.

Sinonimi

efficient (focuses more on using time and energy well, not always on how much is finished)

Contrari

unproductive (describes time or effort that leads to little or no useful result)

Collocazioni

Temi

work |daily life |self-improvement |core_vocabulary

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

adjective B2 property

leading to useful or positive results

giving good and useful results from an activity, like a meeting or talk

Schema d'uso: a productive [meeting/discussion/session]

Errore comune:

Learners sometimes say "a product meeting" instead of "a productive meeting." "Product" is a noun; use the adjective "productive" to describe meetings, talks, or work that gives good results.

Sinonimi

fruitful (slightly more formal and often used for discussions, ideas, or partnerships that give many good results)

Contrari

pointless (emphasizes that an activity has no useful purpose or result)

Collocazioni

Temi

work |communication |business |relationships |core_vocabulary

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

adjective B2 property

producing a lot of goods or output

producing a large amount of things, such as food, goods, or materials

Schema d'uso: a productive [farm/factory/area]

Errore comune:

Learners sometimes use only "good" to describe land or factories. In contexts of how much they can produce, "productive" is more precise than "good."

Sinonimi

fertile (used mainly for land or soil that can produce many plants or crops)

Contrari

barren (describes land that cannot produce crops or vegetation)

Collocazioni

Temi

economy |agriculture |industry |work |nature

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

adjective formal C1 property

adding to economic value or growth

bringing real economic value, for example by creating goods or useful services

Schema d'uso: a productive [job/sector/investment]

Errore comune:

Learners may confuse this with the general sense of "busy" or "hard-working." In economic texts, "productive" usually refers to activities that directly create goods or valuable services, not just activity in general.

Sinonimi

economically valuable (explicitly highlights the link to money or value, while "productive" is slightly more compact and technical)

Contrari

wasteful (emphasizes that resources are used without creating useful economic value)

Collocazioni

Temi

economy |business |politics |finance

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

unknown technical C1 property

forming new words or structures in language

used in language again and again to make new words or forms

Schema d'uso: a productive [suffix/pattern/rule]

Errore comune:

Learners may assume "productive" only means "useful" in this context. In linguistics, it has the specific technical meaning of being actively used to create new forms, not just being helpful.

Sinonimi

generative (used in theoretical linguistics; suggests the ability to produce many forms, but can be broader than just word-formation)

Contrari

unproductive (describes a pattern that no longer creates new words in modern use)

Collocazioni

Temi

language |linguistics |education |communication

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

adjective technical B2 property

producing mucus or other bodily material

producing mucus or wet material, especially when talking about a cough

Schema d'uso: a productive [cough]

Errore comune:

Learners may think "productive cough" means a cough that is somehow "good" or "useful." In medical English, it only means that the cough produces mucus or other material.

Sinonimi

wet (informal; commonly used for coughs that produce mucus, not used in medical writing)

Contrari

dry (describes a cough with no mucus or phlegm)

Collocazioni

Temi

health |medicine |body

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

adjective formal C1 property

causing or bringing about a result

causing a certain result, usually said as "productive of" something

Schema d'uso: [something] is productive of [result]

Errore comune:

Learners usually do not use the structure "productive of" and instead say "makes" or "causes." This formal phrase is mainly found in written English and is not common in everyday speech.

Sinonimi

leading to (more neutral and common; does not have the formal or slightly old-fashioned tone of "productive of")

Contrari

counterproductive (describes actions that produce the opposite of the intended good result)

Collocazioni

Temi

formal |law |writing |core_vocabulary

Esempi

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.

Esempi per chi studia

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.

Grammatica

Forma base

productive

IPA

GB/pɹədˈʌktɪv/

US/pɹədˈʌktɪv/

Sillabe e accento

pro - duct - ive (3 sillabe)

Stress on 2nd syllable (duct)

Forme flesse

Adjective

Base: productive

Famiglia di parole

Core family

produce verb A2 product noun A2 production noun B1 producer noun B1 productivity noun B1

Related words

productively adverb

Negative and opposite forms

unproductive adjective counterproductive adjective B2

Espressioni

be productive

/bˈi pɹədˈʌktɪv/

fixed phrase

do a lot of useful work

to get many useful things done in a period of time

Esempi

I can’t be productive when my phone keeps buzzing.
She’s usually most productive early in the morning.

make productive use of

/mˈeɪk pɹədˈʌktɪv jˈus əv/

fixed phrase formal

use something in a useful way

to use time, money, or something else in a way that gives good and useful results

Esempi

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

/pɹədˈʌktɪv kˈɔf/

fixed phrase technical

cough that produces mucus

a cough that brings up mucus or wet material from the chest

Esempi

The patient has had a productive cough for three days.
A productive cough with green mucus may mean you have an infection.

productive day

/pɹədˈʌktɪv dˈeɪ/

fixed phrase

a day with many tasks completed

a day when you finish many useful tasks or jobs

Esempi

It was a very productive day; I finished all my assignments.
I hope tomorrow will be a productive day at the office.

productive discussion

/pɹədˈʌktɪv dɪskˈʌʃən/

fixed phrase

discussion that leads to solutions or ideas

a talk where people share ideas and reach useful results or plans

Esempi

We had a very productive discussion about the new project.
I’d like this to be a productive discussion, not an argument.

productive meeting

/pɹədˈʌktɪv mˈitɪŋ/

fixed phrase

meeting with clear useful results

a meeting that gives clear plans, ideas, or decisions and is not a waste of time

Esempi

Thanks for a really productive meeting this morning.
Let’s keep the agenda short so we can have a productive meeting.

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productive

getting a lot of useful work done

leading to useful or positive results

producing a lot of goods or output

adding to economic value or growth

forming new words or structures in language

producing mucus or other bodily material

causing or bringing about a result

be productive

make productive use of

productive cough

productive day

productive discussion

productive meeting

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