prolific
adjective
pro·lif·ic
prə-ˈli-fik 
1
: marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity
a prolific composer
And over the course of her prolific career, [Alice] Walker has gone on to write over 40 genre-spanning books.—
Rayna Reid Rayford
Rayna Reid Rayford2
: producing young or fruit especially freely : fruitful
The half-inch blooms are round and prolific, borne atop leafy stems.—Adrian Higgins
Adrian Higgins3
archaic
: causing abundant growth, generation, or reproduction
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 … 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
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 … 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
In the wake of his death, some of Joss' Parks and Rec costars paid their respects to the prolific actor.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
This is not surprising, considering that Gallant was one of the most prolific short story writers of her era.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2025
She’s joined by Devin McCourty, a three-time Super Bowl champion and prolific identical twin.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
After leaving Disney, Glass became a prolific producer of TV holiday movies, including such films as Ice Princess starring Michelle Trachtenberg (2005) and Same Time, Next Christmas starring Lea Michele (2019).
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prolific
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Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Dec. 2025
This is not surprising, considering that Gallant was one of the most prolific short story writers of her era.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 26 Dec. 2025
She’s joined by Devin McCourty, a three-time Super Bowl champion and prolific identical twin.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2025
After leaving Disney, Glass became a prolific producer of TV holiday movies, including such films as Ice Princess starring Michelle Trachtenberg (2005) and Same Time, Next Christmas starring Lea Michele (2019).
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 25 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prolific
Cite this Entry
“Prolific.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolific. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prolific
adjective
pro·lif·ic
prə-ˈlif-ik
1
: producing young or fruit in large numbers
a prolific orchard
2
: highly inventive : productive
a prolific writer
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