fertility
fertility — noun
1. the natural ability of a living thing — whether animal or plant — to give rise t
the natural ability of a living thing — whether animal or plant — to give rise to new life, such as offspring, fruit, or seeds.
Lucía and her husband visited the clinic to discuss fertility treatment options.
collocation: fertility treatment
The fertility of the rabbit population on the island surprised the research team.
Countries with declining fertility rates face challenges in supporting an aging population.
Fertility problems can be caused by a range of medical conditions in either partner.
Cyrus read several books about natural ways to improve fertility before trying for a baby.
- fecundity
more formal and technical; emphasises the actual rate of reproduction rather than the mere capacity
- fruitfulness
warmer and more positive; used for plants and metaphorically
- infertility
the most common antonym, used in medical and biological contexts
- sterility
stronger and more absolute; suggests a complete inability to reproduce
文法句型
fertility + noun
the fertility of + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently uncountable; rarely used in the plural except in specialised statistical writing (e.g., comparing the fertilities of different species). Common in medical collocations such as fertility clinic, fertility drug, and fertility test.
常見錯誤
2. the condition of soil or land that allows it to support strong, healthy plant gr
the condition of soil or land that allows it to support strong, healthy plant growth and produce crops in large amounts.
The fertility of the valley's soil produced the largest vegetables in the region.
collocation: fertility of the soil / land
After years of careful farming, the fertility of the farmland was fully restored.
Romi added compost to the garden every spring to maintain its fertility.
The fertility of volcanic soil explains why many farmers live near active volcanoes.
Without proper nutrients, the land loses its fertility and crops begin to fail.
- richness
less technical and broader in application; can also describe flavour or colour
- productivity
focuses on the actual crop output rather than the inherent quality of the soil
- barrenness
describes land that produces little or nothing
- infertility
used for both soil and living things
文法句型
the fertility of + noun phrase (land/soil)
用法筆記
Primarily describes natural or agricultural soil quality. Not used for artificial growing media such as potting compost or hydroponic solutions. Often contrasted with soil degradation or erosion.
常見錯誤
3. the ability of a person's mind or imagination to generate many original, unusual
the ability of a person's mind or imagination to generate many original, unusual, or interesting ideas, especially in creative or intellectual work.
The fertility of Tuan's imagination led to the gallery's most unusual paintings.
pattern: fertility of [possessive] mind/imagination
A writer's fertility of ideas often depends on how many different experiences they have gathered.
Ingrid's fertility of thought made her a valuable member of the product design team.
The workshop was designed to stimulate the fertility of the participants' creative minds.
Historians admire the fertility of invention shown by engineers during the Industrial Revolution.
- creativity
broader and more everyday; the standard term for original thinking
- inventiveness
emphasises the production of novel solutions or devices
- barrenness
used metaphorically for a lack of ideas or imagination
文法句型
the fertility of + [mind / imagination / invention]
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the pattern the fertility of [mind / imagination / thought / invention]. Rarely used in everyday conversation; more common in formal or literary writing. For casual contexts, creativity or inventiveness is more natural.