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Productive vs Capable - What's the difference?

productive | capable | Related terms |

As adjectives the difference between productive and capable

is that productive is capable of producing something, especially in abundance; fertile while capable is able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.

productive

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • capable of producing something, especially in abundance; fertile
  • yielding good or useful results; constructive
  • of, or relating to the creation of goods or services
  • (linguistics, of an affix or word construction rule) consistently applicable to any of an open set of words
  • *
  • Moreover, this relationship is a productive one, in the sense that when new Adjectives are created (e.g. ginormous'' concocted out of ''gigantic'' and ''enormous''), then the corresponding Adverb form (in this case ''ginormously'') can also be used. And in those exceptional cases where Adverbs do not end in ''-ly'', they generally have the same form as the corresponding Adjective, as with ''hard'', ''fast , etc.
  • (medicine) of a cough, producing mucus or sputum from the respiratory tract
  • (medicine) of inflammation, producing new tissue
  • Usage notes

    In English, the plural suffix “-es” is productive' because it can be appended to an open set of words (singular nouns ending in sibilants). Thus, if a new word with that pattern becomes an English noun (e.g. *''examplex''), it would have a default plural (e.g. *''examplexes'') because “-es” is ' productive .

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * unproductive * nonproductive * destructive * baneful * ruinous

    References

    * * ----

    capable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Able and efficient; having the ability needed for a specific task; having the disposition to do something; permitting or being susceptible to something.
  • She is capable and efficient.
    He does not need help; he is capable of eating on his own.
    As everyone knew, he was capable of violence when roused.
    That fact is not capable of proof.
  • (obsolete) Of sufficient capacity or size for holding, containing, receiving or taking in. Construed with of'', ''for or an infinitive.
  • * 1775 Samuel Johnson, A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland'' (''Works 10.479):
  • He has begun a road capable of a wheel-carriage.

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Antonyms

    * incapable

    Derived terms

    * capability noun

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----