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 One of the industry’s most prolific TV studios, Warner Bros., has initiated production on about 20 shows since the strikes concluded, including 10 filming in California. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Two prolific discoverers, Jean-Louis Pons and William Robert Brooks, independently observed the devil comet for the first time in 1812. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 21 Mar. 2024 Replenish your musical flowerbed with a selection of long-dormant shrubs (Vampire Weekend, Beth Gibbons, Justice), prolific perennials (Adrianna Lenker, Khruangbin), and, in Taylor Swift, a climber that seemingly won’t stop growing until the whole garden is in its shade. Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 19 Mar. 2024 Oshoala, a two-time Ballon d’Or finalist over five prolific seasons with Barcelona, hit the shot on her first touch and fired a rocket upper-90, a perfect strike that bounced off the bottom of the crossbar for the club’s first-ever goal. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The court had not taken a position when it was previously asked whether former President Donald Trump could block criticisms of his prolific Tweets. USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Though Bernstein held a prolific career in music, Maestro largely focuses on the evolution of his complicated relationship with Montealegre over decades. Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 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

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 28 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

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