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fertile

adjective
fer·​tile | \ ˈfər-tᵊl How to pronounce fertile (audio) , chiefly British -ˌtī(-ə)l How to pronounce fertile (audio) \

Definition of fertile

1a : producing or bearing many crops in great quantities : productive fertile fields of corn and oats
b : characterized by great resourcefulness of thought or imagination : inventive a fertile mind
c obsolete : plentiful
2a(1) : capable of sustaining abundant plant growth fertile soil
(2) : affording abundant possibilities for growth or development damp bathrooms are fertile ground for fungi — Consumer Reports a fertile area for research
b : capable of growing or developing a fertile egg
c(1) : capable of producing fruit fertile trees
(2) of an anther : containing pollen
(3) : developing spores or spore-bearing organs
d : capable of breeding or reproducing
3 : capable of being converted into fissionable material fertile uranium 238
Other Words from fertile Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about fertile

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Other Words from fertile

fertilely \ ˈfər-​tᵊl-​(l)ē How to pronounce fertilely (audio) \ adverb
fertileness \ ˈfər-​tᵊl-​nəs How to pronounce fertileness (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for fertile

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 fertile in a Sentence

an area that is a fertile breeding ground for political extremism This subject remains a fertile field for additional investigation. He has a fertile mind.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Frank’s influence found fertile ground in the 1960s. — David Henry / Bloomberg, Time, "Robert Frank, Influential Photographer Who Evocatively Chronicled Life in America, Dies at 94," 10 Sep. 2019 So the idea of using that same element of caricature in the framework of this very fun mystery with a modern American setting, with modern American character types, that seemed like fertile ground. — Washington Post, "In razor-sharp ‘Knives Out,’ Johnson revives the whodunit," 8 Sep. 2019 The fate of the Bay Area Indian population is important because the region was a fertile hunting ground and popular location for large villages before Europeans arrived. — Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Artifacts alter timeline for Native Americans in California," 8 Sep. 2019 All of this has made Marquette fertile ground for a new crop of restaurants and food and beverage producers. — Layla Khoury-hanold, chicagotribune.com, "Fresh Marquette: Outdoor sports haven in Michigan’s U.P. serves up booming culinary scene," 28 Aug. 2019 This history of Surrealism opens in Paris in 1911, when artists and writers, seeking fertile ground beyond Cubism, were trading the hills of Montmartre for the boulevards of Montparnasse. — Douglas Preston, The New Yorker, "Briefly Noted," 27 Aug. 2019 And for Democrats in 2020, isn’t this also fertile ground — how Trump is trying to make money for his business? — NBC News, "Conflict of interest: How Trump has used his office to benefit his business," 27 Aug. 2019 That is a typically fertile image from López, and her film is forever suggesting that the urge to tell stories about oneself, and the nourishing virtues of play, can be a means of survival. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, "The Haunted Street Children of “Tigers Are Not Afraid”," 23 Aug. 2019 South Florida is a fierce battleground for both college programs, as the coaches battle each other for supremacy in arguably the most fertile recruiting ground in the nation. — Adam Lichtenstein, sun-sentinel.com, "Florida-Miami clash drawing the attention of local Gators, 'Canes commits," 19 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fertile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of fertile

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for fertile

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin fertilis, from ferre to carry, bear — more at bear

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More Definitions for fertile

fertile

adjective
How to pronounce fertile (audio) How to pronounce fertile (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of fertile

: producing many plants or crops : able to support the growth of many plants
: producing a large amount of something
: producing many ideas

See the full definition for fertile in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fertile

adjective
fer·​tile | \ ˈfər-tᵊl

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