unproductive
adjective
un·pro·duc·tive ˌən-prə-ˈdək-tiv 
-prō-
: not effective in bringing something about : not yielding results, benefits, or profits : not productive
unproductive meetings
unproductive strategies
unproductive workers
Examples of unproductive in a Sentence
crop rotation had prevented the farmland from becoming unproductive her attempts to write a novel have been unproductive
Recent Examples on the Web
Companies won’t need whole teams to coordinate in clunky, unproductive meetings; one AI with a few humans will get the job done cheaper and faster. —
Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026 This distortion creates a dynamic that blurs the line between authority figure and peer ally, which is unhealthy, unproductive and simply not the role of public schools. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 This includes increases to professional licensing fees and the notoriously unproductive IT services tax that gets passed directly on to consumers. —Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026 Alex Freeland endured an unproductive spring but still made his first-ever Opening Day roster and has found a sounding board in Betts, the 2018 American League MVP. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unproductive
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.
Solo Ceesay, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2026 This distortion creates a dynamic that blurs the line between authority figure and peer ally, which is unhealthy, unproductive and simply not the role of public schools. —The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026 This includes increases to professional licensing fees and the notoriously unproductive IT services tax that gets passed directly on to consumers. —Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 1 Apr. 2026 Alex Freeland endured an unproductive spring but still made his first-ever Opening Day roster and has found a sounding board in Betts, the 2018 American League MVP. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for unproductive
Cite this Entry
“Unproductive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/unproductive. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
