Counterproductive

How to spell counterproductive

17 letters · 5 syllables

How to pronounce counterproductive

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does counterproductive mean?

1. adjectiveHaving the opposite effect to the one intended; defeating its own purpose.

Counterproductive in a sentence

• Micromanaging the team proved deeply counterproductive and morale collapsed.

• Skipping meals before a long shift is counterproductive because energy crashes by midday.

Where does counterproductive come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This is a modern compound built from older Latin parts. The element 'productive' descends from the Latin verb producere, which literally meant 'to lead forward' or 'to bring forth', formed from pro 'forward' and ducere 'to lead'; the same ducere root sits inside everyday words such as 'conduct', 'reduce', and 'introduce'. The prefix 'counter' comes through Old French countre from the Latin contra, meaning 'against' or 'in opposition to', the source of words like 'contrary' and 'encounter'. Joining the two gives the plain sense of working against the very production or result you intended. The full word is relatively recent in English, appearing in the twentieth century as managers and economists needed a tidy label for actions that defeat their own purpose. Because both halves are themselves familiar, the spelling is largely predictable once you remember the silent run of letters in 'duct'.

How the word is built

• counter- (against)
• pro- (forward)
• duct (from Latin ducere: to lead)
• -ive (adjective suffix)