1
a
: producing or bearing many crops in great quantities : productive
fertile fields of corn and oats
b
: characterized by great resourcefulness of thought or imagination : inventive
a fertile mind
c
obsolete
: plentiful
2
a(1)
: capable of sustaining abundant plant growth
fertile soil
(2)
: affording abundant possibilities for growth or development
damp bathrooms are fertile ground for fungi—
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reportsa fertile area for research
b
: capable of growing or developing
a fertile egg
c(1)
: capable of producing fruit
fertile trees
(2)
of an anther
: containing pollen
(3)
: developing spores or spore-bearing organs
d
: capable of breeding or reproducing
3
: capable of being converted into fissionable material
fertile uranium 238
Synonyms
Examples of fertile in a Sentence
an area that is a fertile breeding ground for political extremism
This subject remains a fertile field for additional investigation.
He has a fertile mind.
Recent Examples on the Web
And Jordan itself has become an increasingly fertile market for the amphetamine.
—Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Using his fertile imagination, Thomas finds a way out, and perhaps even a solution to his dad’s tyrannical regime.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
The receding ice left behind a beautiful landscape and highly fertile farmland that flourishes in the fall.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
In 2020, misinformation experts warned that the window between the polls closing and knowing the outcome of the election could provide fertile ground for false narratives to spread and sow doubt about the legitimacy of the election process.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fertile 
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.
Ed Caesar, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
Using his fertile imagination, Thomas finds a way out, and perhaps even a solution to his dad’s tyrannical regime.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 16 Oct. 2024
The receding ice left behind a beautiful landscape and highly fertile farmland that flourishes in the fall.
—Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024
In 2020, misinformation experts warned that the window between the polls closing and knowing the outcome of the election could provide fertile ground for false narratives to spread and sow doubt about the legitimacy of the election process.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for fertile
Dictionary Entries Near fertile
Cite this Entry
“Fertile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fertile. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fertile
adjective
fer·tile
ˈfərt-ᵊl 
1
: producing vegetation or crops plentifully : rich
fertile farmland
2
: producing thoughts and ideas abundantly
a fertile mind
3
a
: capable of growing and developing
a fertile seed
b
: capable of reproducing or of producing reproductive cells
a fertile bull
fertile fungal hyphae
fertility
noun
(ˌ)fər-ˈtil-ət-ē
Etymology
Middle English fertile "bearing in abundance, productive," from early French fertile and Latin fertilis (both same meaning), from Latin ferre "to bear, carry, yield, produce" — related to defer entry 1, transfer
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share