prolific
pruh-LIF-ik
/prəˈlɪfɪk/
Producing much fruit or foliage or many works; present in large numbers or quantities.
Refers specifically to high quantity of creative or intellectual output.
The story behind the word. Formed from Latin 'proles' (offspring) and '-ficus' (making). Originally described plants or animals producing abundant offspring, later applied to artists producing abundant works.
Word relationships
- productive: Productive means efficient; prolific emphasizes sheer abundance of creative output.
- unproductive: Unproductive means yielding little or no results.
Commonly confused with
- prophetic: Prophetic means accurately foretelling the future; prolific means producing abundant work.
Word family
- prolificacy (noun): Abundant productiveness.
- prolifically (adverb): In a abundant manner.
Collocations
- prolific writer
- prolific composer
- prolific output
Idioms & expressions
- fountain of work
Example sentences
- "As a prolific author, Isaac Asimov wrote or edited more than 500 books during his lifetime." Literary biography
- "Mozart was extraordinarily prolific, composing over six hundred works before his early death." Musical composition
Memory hook
PROLIFIC creators make PRO-level volume of works like TERRIFIC factories. Abundant output of creative offspring.
When not to use
Does not automatically imply high quality; someone can be prolific yet mediocre.
Fun facts
- Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was so prolific he produced roughly 50,000 artworks.
Explore more words
proliferation, abundance, Prolix, proficient, fertility, precocious
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