prolific

adjective

pro·​lif·​ic prə-ˈli-fik How to pronounce prolific (audio)
1
: producing young or fruit especially freely : fruitful
2
archaic : causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction
3
: marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity
a prolific composer
prolificacy noun
prolifically adverb
prolificness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for prolific

fertile, fecund, fruitful, prolific mean producing or capable of producing offspring or fruit.

fertile implies the power to reproduce in kind or to assist in reproduction and growth

fertile soil

; applied figuratively, it suggests readiness of invention and development.

a fertile imagination

fecund emphasizes abundance or rapidity in bearing fruit or offspring.

a fecund herd

fruitful adds to fertile and fecund the implication of desirable or useful results.

fruitful research

prolific stresses rapidity of spreading or multiplying by or as if by natural reproduction.

a prolific writer

Examples of prolific in a Sentence

Since [David] Mamet is a prolific writer of Hollywood screenplays, there are today more people who know his work than know that they know it. Juliet Fleming, Times Literary Supplement, 18 Feb. 2000
The main rival to his pneumonia was the prolific thrush which went into his throat and stomach. Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, 1993
A writer as established and prolific as Joyce Carol Oates can approach her material in a wealth of ways unavailable to the more plodding. Jane Smiley, New York Times Book Review, 5 May 1991
Here there are La restaurants, wine bars, bookshops, estate agents more prolific than doctors, and attractive people in black, few of them aging. Hanif Kureishi, Granta 22, Autumn 1987
a famously prolific author who could produce several works of fiction and nonfiction a year
Recent Examples on the Web The actress is a two-time Supporting Actress nominee, for 1988’s Working Girl and 1997’s In & Out. Dan Aykroyd, one of SNL’s most prolific alumni following his 1975-1979 run on the show, earned a Supporting Actor Oscar nod for 1989 Best Picture winner Driving Miss Daisy. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Jandali, 51, is a prolific composer whose symphonies and concertos incorporate Arabic maqams (or modes) into a blend that resists transparent fusion, achieving something more akin to keen self-portraiture, even when the lens faces outward. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024 Neither Annie Lennox nor Wendy and Lisa have been prolific record-makers in recent years. Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024 Patrick’s work with Game Theorists has been so prolific that there’s no aspect of gaming and fandom that hasn’t been touched by his YouTube career. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 9 Mar. 2024 The prolific New York rapper MIKE reunites with producer Tony Seltzer—a collaborator on 2017’s beloved May God Bless Your Hustle—for the new full-length Pinball. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 8 Mar. 2024 Miike is one of Japan’s most prolific and adventurous directors, with over 100 feature film credits to his name, including genre cinema landmarks like Audition, Ichi the Killer and 13 Assassins. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024 That is what made the way last season ended so disappointing for Miami, with a prolific offense ebbing and critical injuries on defense and a first-round playoff loss in arctic Kansas City. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 In 1931, prolific scientist-director Jean Painlevé shot eight delightful, surrealist short films underwater, capturing phenomena both scary and sensual, including the birth of jellyfish and the mating rituals of octopi. Carolina Dalia Gonzalez, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prolific.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French prolifique, from Middle French, from Latin proles + Middle French -figue -fic

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prolific was in 1650

Dictionary Entries Near prolific

Cite this Entry

“Prolific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolific. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prolific

adjective
pro·​lif·​ic prə-ˈlif-ik How to pronounce prolific (audio)
1
: producing young or fruit in large numbers
a prolific orchard
2
: highly inventive : productive
a prolific writer
prolifically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on prolific

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!