Synonyms 2. fecund. Productive, fertile, fruitful, prolific apply to the generative aspect of something. Productive refers to a generative source of continuing activity: productive soil; a productive influence.Fertile applies to that in which seeds, literal or figurative, take root: fertile soil; a fertile imagination.Fruitful refers to that which has already produced and is capable of further production: fruitful soil, discovery, theory.Prolific means highly productive: a prolific farm, writer.
1612, from Fr. productif (16c.), from M.L. productivus "fit for production," from L. productus, pp. of producere (see produce). Productivity is from 1809 with meaning "quality of being productive;" economic sense of "rate of output per unit" is from 1899.