Productivity

/ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/

nounmedium🔥Very CommonConcept
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

The rate at which goods or services are produced, especially compared to the amount of resources used to produce them.

/ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvəti/

nounneutralmedium
Concept

The effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input.

The new software system is expected to increase workplace productivity.

💡 Simply: Productivity is like how much you can get done in a certain amount of time. Like, if you build five Lego castles in an hour, you have a higher productivity rate than if you only built two.

👶 For kids: When you get lots of good work done!

More Examples

2

The company's focus on productivity led to significant gains in output.

3

Employee productivity is closely monitored to assess performance.

How It's Used

Business

"Companies are always looking for ways to improve productivity."

Economics

"The government is concerned about the decline in national productivity."

Personal Development

"She uses time-management techniques to improve her personal productivity."

Synonyms & Antonyms

Idioms & expressions

Productivity gains

Increases in the rate at which goods and services are produced.

"The company saw significant productivity gains after implementing the new strategy."

Time management and productivity

The combination of time management and productivity.

"Successful people often use time management and productivity techniques."

From the English word 'productive,' which stems from the Latin 'productus' (produced, brought forth), the past participle of 'producere' (to produce). The suffix '-ity' indicates a state or condition.

The term 'productivity' gained prominence in the 20th century with the rise of industrialization and the need to measure efficiency.

Memory tip

Think of how much you 'produce' at work to remember productivity.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"to bring forth, produce"

improve productivityincrease productivityboost productivitylabor productivityproductivity gainsoverall productivityproductivity levelsenhance productivityachieve productivityproductivity growth

Common misspellings

productivetyproductivitiy

Usage

40%Spoken
60%Written