Educational Content: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.
Definition of Proliferative
Medically reviewed by Min Clinic Staff | Updated: January 2026
Proliferative: Growing and increasing in number rapidly.
For example, the lymphoproliferative disorders are diseases in which there is malignant growth of lymphoid cells and of cells from the reticuloendothelial system (which take up and sequester inert particles).
As another example, the myeloproliferative disorders are malignancies of certain bone marrow cells including those that give rise to the red blood cells, the granulocytes (types of white blood cells), and the platelets (crucial to blood clotting).
"Proliferative" comes from the French who derived it from the Latin "proles" (offspring or descendants) + the combining form "-fer" (bearing). Cells that are proliferating are bearing offspring.