nonproductive
[ non-pruh-duhk-tiv ]
/ ˌnɒn prəˈdʌk tɪv /
adjective
not productive; unproductive.
not worthwhile or beneficial; not leading to practical or beneficial results.
not producing goods directly, as employees in charge of personnel or inspectors.
Origin of nonproductive
First recorded in 1920–25;
non- +
productive
OTHER WORDS FROM nonproductive
non·pro·duc·tive·ly, adverb non·pro·duc·tive·ness, non·pro·duc·tiv·i·ty [non-proh-duhk-tiv-i-tee, -prod-uh k-] /ˌnɒn proʊ dʌkˈtɪv ɪ ti, -prɒd ək-/, nounWords nearby nonproductive
nonpracticing,
nonpractising,
nonprescription,
nonprint,
nonpro,
nonproductive,
nonprofessional,
nonproficiency,
nonprofit,
nonproliferation,
nonproliferation treaty
Example sentences from the Web for nonproductive
Besides the overhead of slaves and nonproductive brewers, the establishment required the services of two coopers at 20 per year.
The Cultural History of Marlborough, Virginia |C. Malcolm WatkinsThey are classed as nonproductive workers, therefore their salary scales are lower than those for productive workers.
Area Handbook for Bulgaria |Eugene K. Keefe, Violeta D. Baluyut, William Giloane, Anne K. Long, James M. Moore, and Neda A. Walpole
British Dictionary definitions for nonproductive
nonproductive
/ (ˌnɒnprəˈdʌktɪv) /
adjective
(of workers) not directly responsible for producing goods
having disappointing results; unproductive