Meanings
adjectiveimproductive (comparative more improductive, superlative most improductive)
comparative more improductive · superlative most improductive
- misconstructionrarechiefly non-native speakers' EnglishMisconstruction of unproductive.
But, as the principal of the loan, or, if you will, the capital lent, is generally consumed in consequence of this transfer, public loans produce an improductive consumption, a destruction of capital.
1816, The Monthly Magazine
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Latinim-
- Englishim-
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Proto-Indo-European*pro-
- Proto-Italic*pro-
- Latinprō-
- Proto-Indo-European*dewk-
- Proto-Indo-European*déwkti
- Proto-Italic*doukō
- Latindūcō
- Latinprōdūcō
- Late Latinprōductīvus
- Englishproductive
- Englishimproductive
From im- + productive.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
improductive. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improductive
MLA
“improductive.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improductive. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “improductive,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improductive.
Source: improductive on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.