profit
Americannoun
-
profits
plural
-
Often profits.
-
pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction.
-
the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.
-
returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.
- Synonyms:
- return
- Antonyms:
- loss
-
-
the monetary surplus left to a producer or employer after deducting wages, rent, cost of raw materials, etc..
The company works on a small margin of profit.
- Synonyms:
- net income
-
advantage; benefit; gain.
verb (used without object)
-
profits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
profited,
past participle, past
-
profiting
present participle
-
to gain an advantage or benefit.
He profited greatly from his schooling.
-
to make a profit.
-
to take advantage.
to profit from the weaknesses of others.
-
to be of service or benefit.
-
to make progress.
verb (used with object)
-
profits,
present (3rd person singular)
-
profited,
past participle, past
-
profiting
present participle
noun
-
(often plural) excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time, usually a year
-
the monetary gain derived from a transaction
-
-
income derived from property or an investment, as contrasted with capital gains
-
the ratio of this income to the investment or principal
-
-
economics
-
the income or reward accruing to a successful entrepreneur and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy
-
( as modifier )
the profit motive
-
-
a gain, benefit, or advantage
verb
Usage
What are other ways to say profit? A profit is a gain or valuable return. How does it differ from an advantage or a benefit? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
profiternoun
-
profitlessnessnoun
-
self-profitnoun
-
profitlessadjective
-
proprofitadjective
-
unprofitedadjective
-
unprofitingadjective
-
profitlesslyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
profitsimple
-
profitssimple
-
have profitedperfect
-
has profitedperfect
-
am profitingprogressive
-
are profitingprogressive
-
is profitingprogressive
-
have been profitingperfect progressive
-
has been profitingperfect progressive
Past
-
profitedsimple
-
had profitedperfect
-
was profitingprogressive
-
were profitingprogressive
-
had been profitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of profit
First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōfectus “progress, profit,” noun use of past participle of prōficere “to make progress,” from prō- pro- 1 + -ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( cf. fact); verb derivative of the noun
Explanation
A profit is money you make, as opposed to money you lose. Also, anything good profits you — it benefits you. When we talk about profits, we're talking about coming out ahead. Businesses need to make a profit — money — or they'll have to fire employees, cut expenses, and maybe go out of business entirely. If more money is coming in than going out, that's a profit. Profit also means a benefit. For example, you could profit from playing baseball even if you made no money from it. Getting exercise and fun would profit anybody quite a bit.
Vocabulary lists containing profit
Some Tricky Homonyms
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Trumps
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Next up in the prediction markets, a two-bet parlay: Dodgers are eliminated early in the playoffs and Walter sells his stake in the team, with the over/under for his profit set at $8 billion.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
You may be able to profit from investors’ irrational belief that crashes are especially likely to occur in October.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
"This is a stark reminder of the ruthless acts used by smuggling gangs to exploit desperate people for profit, but today shows there is nowhere for them to hide."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
In the second quarter, the unit reported a net profit of $951 million, a fourfold increase on the same period last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Some he just bought, knowing he could sell them at a profit.
From "My Brother Sam is Dead" by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
Details of how to run the syndicate were left to its members — insurers licensed to operate in California who would share in the plan’s profits and losses.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
The owners allegedly underreported how much they paid their employees by more than $100,000 each year and funneled profits through mortgage payments and investments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
They have also contributed to record-breaking profits for Adnoc’s maritime arm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The BBC asked him how he was able to make promises about the payment of potential future profits of the new enterprise, given he was an employee.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The deal was that Salley got to keep one-third of the profits and Jessie and Megan got to keep the rest.
From "The Lemonade War" by Jacqueline Davies
He claimed the women had profited from selling dozens of his daughter's items at auctions in the US in 2021 and 2023, accusing them of having "deliberately concealed" their sale.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Many of his assets are held in a trust overseen by Donald Trump Jr. The president said Wednesday that he profited on his investment accounts in 2025 because stock markets rallied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Though Rinsch told the streamer that his sci-fi show “White Horse” was progressing nicely, the filmmaker allegedly moved the remaining money into cryptocurrency and profited from crypto speculation over the next couple of years.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
One reason Dominion hasn’t profited much from the data center boom is because of timing.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
And this vision had had a certain hold even on the groups who actually profited by each historic change.
From "1984" by George Orwell
Brokers are profiting from commissions as buyers purchase financial derivatives to hedge against wild price swings in jet fuel, diesel and gasoline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The companies giving evidence to the committee rejected the suggestion they were profiting from phone thefts.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
A bull call spread involves purchasing a lower-strike VIX call and selling a higher-strike one with the aim of profiting if the index rises.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Greg Kading is profiting off Duane Davis’s life story,” Palal said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
He tried again and again, profiting from his mistakes, and finally he felt he had a likeness of his wife real enough to embrace.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
