unproductive

adjective

un·​pro·​duc·​tive ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv How to pronounce unproductive (audio)
-prō-
: not effective in bringing something about : not yielding results, benefits, or profits : not productive
unproductive meetings
unproductive strategies
unproductive workers

Examples of unproductive in a Sentence

crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And as the current informal, borderline illicit NP model shows, there is a path to convincing profit-seeking employers to say yes to unproductive workers: revenue must at least cover direct costs. Ryan Craig, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 Photo: Gillian Laub Parents might be nostalgic for an era when children spent their days outside throwing rocks, absorbed in productively unproductive play, but actually re-creating that ideal can feel impossible. Lauren Hilgers, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025 With a new year and its attendant resolutions calling on us to work harder and be fitter, cultivating a third life—a life with regular time for connection and glorious, unproductive leisure—is a better goal for 2025. Adam Chandler, TIME, 2 Jan. 2025 The bench was also unproductive, combining for just 12 points, compared with 32 scored by their opponent‘s reserves. Dylan Hernández, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for unproductive 

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unproductive was circa 1676

Dictionary Entries Near unproductive

Cite this Entry

“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unproductive. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on unproductive

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!