prolific

The word “prolific” means producing a large amount of something, especially offspring, fruit, or creative work. In plain terms, producing a lot of something — usually work, offspring, or output — again and again.

“Prolific” is pronounced pruh-LIHF-ihk (/pɹəˈlɪf.ɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “prolific” used in a sentence: “She is one of the most prolific novelists of her generation, publishing a new book almost every year.”

Words with a similar meaning to “prolific” include fertile.

“Prolific” is an adjective.

The word “prolific” dates back to around 1635 and comes from Latin. First recorded around 1635, from French prolifique, ultimately from Latin prōlēs ("offspring") plus -ficus ("making").

“Prolific” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

“Prolific” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: producing a large amount of something, especially offspring, fruit, or creative work.

Productive generally describes efficient output of any kind, while prolific specifically emphasizes a large quantity, especially of creative work, offspring, or fruit, such as a prolific author who has written dozens of novels. Prolific tends to highlight abundance more strongly than productive.

Prolific is often used for writers, artists, and musicians who produce a large volume of work, as well as for plants or animals that reproduce abundantly, such as a prolific fruit tree.

Yes, prolific can describe anything abundant or plentiful in general, such as a prolific source of errors, extending beyond its most common uses describing creative output or reproduction.