nonproductive
2
4.5
- adjective
- /ˌnɒnprəˈdʌktɪv/
:
no productivo
- Many workers feel that attending endless meetings is a nonproductive use of their time.
- a nonproductive cough
- a nonproductive activity
Examples
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He realized that spending too much time on social media was nonproductive and detracted from his studies.
-
The company decided to cut back on nonproductive activities that did not help in achieving its goals.
-
Rather than regard this first stage as nonproductive, I believe it is an important stage in most novel situations.
Academic text (1990) -
Thus, environmental regulations and standards impose nonproductive expenses on the economy that reduce economic growth and eliminate jobs.
Academic text (1993) -
Would any land have been set aside for conservation except, possibly, in the most agriculturally nonproductive environments?
Academic text (1998) -
Vertical cut situations do provide opportunities for eliminating negative and nonproductive programs and personnel, which can benefit the institution.
Academic text (1995) -
Even the kindest farmer won't waste good money on feeding nonproductive animals.
Blog text (31) -
Similarly, do not invest excessively in the nonproductive urban construction and service sectors or in politically popular white elephants.
Academic text (1998) -
Where numerous EH city codes are involved, inconsistencies among the many codes may create considerable nonproductive administrative tasks for the EH delivery agency.
Academic text (1993) -
What did he mean by idleness—worthlessness, folly, inactivity; the nonfunctional, the nonproductive, the trivial, the fantastical?
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
550
1.0
Not able to do the job it is made for
157
3.5
Not doing anything useful
90
3.4
Not working well enough to give the wanted result
84
6.0
Not likely to work or help
24
4.8
Not giving the results you want
21
3.8
Not giving useful or wanted results
11
4.9
Not making money for a person or business
4
5.3
Not done for any clear reason or useful result
1
4.2
Not producing any useful result
1
5.5
Not making money or giving any useful result
Not producing the intended result
Not producing the intended result
Not producing any useful result or profit
Not making useful things or results
Not helpful and not meant to solve a problem
Not done with a clear aim or useful reason
Not playing an important or deciding role in a result
Antonyms
How Productive
Surface Forms
Morphology
nonproductive = productive (transparent) = non + product + ive
The adjective 'productive' is a common word and the prefix 'non-' straightforwardly negates it, yielding the expected opposite meaning.
Etymology
Nonproductive breaks into non- meaning 'not' and productive, from produce meaning 'to make' and like product meaning 'a thing made'. So, nonproductive describes something that is 'not making' useful results or that does not help production.