fertility
fur-TIL-uh-tee
/fərˈtɪləti/
The actual production of live offspring, or the capability of soil, animals, or humans to reproduce.
In demography, fertility refers to actual birth outcomes rather than mere biological potential.
The story behind the word. The word comes from Latin 'fertilis', derived from 'ferre', meaning 'to bear' or 'to carry'. Land or people that could bear life were described as fertile. In modern demography, it specifically denotes the realized output of childbearing.
Word relationships
- fruitfulness: Fruitfulness is a broad term used for land or general productivity, while fertility is technical.
- sterility: Sterility denotes complete biological inability to produce offspring or crops.
- infertility: Infertility indicates diminished ability or complete inability to conceive naturally.
Commonly confused with
- fecundity: Fertility measures actual births achieved; fecundity measures the physical capacity to bear young.
Word family
- fertile (adjective): Capable of producing abundant vegetation, crops, or offspring.
- fertilize (verb): To make fertile or cause egg and sperm to unite.
- fertilization (noun): The action or process of fertilizing an egg or land.
Collocations
- fertility rate
- total fertility
- fertility treatment
- soil fertility
Example sentences
- "The total fertility rate in several Asian nations dropped well below the level needed to maintain stable population figures." Demographic study
- "Soil fertility was restored after farmers rotated their crops and introduced nitrogen-fixing legumes." Agricultural report
Memory hook
Think of 'fertile' soil that 'bears' a heavy crop harvest. Fertility = bearing fruit or bearing children.
When not to use
Do not confuse with fecundity, which is the biological potential to reproduce rather than actual output.
Fun facts
- In demographic calculations, global total fertility rate dropped from nearly 5 children per woman in 1950 to about 2.3 today.
Related words
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