different between productive vs practical

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin productivus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p???d?kt?v/

Adjective

productive (comparative more productive, superlative most productive)

1. Capable of producing something, especially in abundance; fertile.
2. Yielding good or useful results; constructive.
3. Of, or relating to the creation of goods or services.
4. (linguistics, of an affix or word construction rule) Consistently applicable to any of an open set of words.

   • Moreover, this relationship is a productive one, in the sense that when new Adjectives are created (e.g. ginormous concocted out of gigantic and enormous), then the corresponding Adverb form (in this case ginormously) can also be used. And in those exceptional cases where Adverbs do not end in -ly, they generally have the same form as the corresponding Adjective, as with hard, fast, etc.

5. (medicine) Of a cough, producing mucus or sputum from the respiratory tract.
6. (medicine) Of inflammation, producing new tissue.
7. (set theory) A type of set of natural numbers, related to mathematical logic.

Usage notes

In English, the plural suffix “-es” is productive because it can be appended to an open set of words (singular nouns ending in sibilants). Thus, if a new word with that pattern becomes an English noun (e.g. *examplex), it would have a default plural (e.g. *examplexes) because “-es” is productive.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:productive

Antonyms

Related terms

• productively
• productiveness
• productivity

Translations

References

• productive in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• productive in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

French

Adjective

productive

1. feminine singular of productif

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /pro?.duk?ti?.u?e/, [p?o?d??k?t?i?u??]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /pro.duk?ti.ve/, [p??d?uk?t?i?v?]

Adjective

pr?duct?ve

1. vocative masculine singular of pr?duct?vus

English

Etymology

From practic +? -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?ækt?k?l/
• Hyphenation: prac?ti?cal

Noun

practical (plural practicals)

1. (Britain) A part of an exam or series of exams in which the candidate has to demonstrate their practical ability
2. (theater) A prop that has some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Translations

Adjective

practical (comparative more practical, superlative most practical)

1. Based on practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis

2. Being likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation; able to be put to use

3. Of a person, having skills or knowledge that are practical

4. (theater, not comparable) Of a prop: having some degree of functionality, rather than being a mere imitation.

Antonyms

• (based on practice or action): theoretical
• (likely to be effective and applicable to a real situation): impractical
• (of a person): impractical

Derived terms

• practicality
• practically

Related terms

• practicable
• practice
• practise
• practitioner
• pragmatic

Translations

Further reading

• practical in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• practical in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.