profit

American  

[prof-it] / ˈprɒf ɪt /

noun

1. Often profits.

   1. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction.

   2. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.

   3. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.

   Synonyms:

   return

   Antonyms:

   loss

2. 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

3. advantage; benefit; gain.

   Synonyms:

   worth, use, avail, good

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verb (used without object)

profits, present (3rd person singular) profited, past participle, past profiting present participle

1. to gain an advantage or benefit.

   He profited greatly from his schooling.

2. to make a profit.

3. to take advantage.

   to profit from the weaknesses of others.

4. to be of service or benefit.

5. to make progress.

verb (used with object)

profits, present (3rd person singular) profited, past participle, past profiting present participle

1. to be of advantage or profit to.

   Nothing profits one so much as a sound education.

   Synonyms:

   help, advance

profit British  

/ ˈprɒfɪt /

noun

1. (often plural) excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time, usually a year

2. the monetary gain derived from a transaction

3. 1. income derived from property or an investment, as contrasted with capital gains

   2. the ratio of this income to the investment or principal

4. economics

   1. the income or reward accruing to a successful entrepreneur and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy

   2. ( as modifier )

      the profit motive

5. a gain, benefit, or advantage

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verb

1. to gain or cause to gain profit

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

• unprofiting
  adjective
• profitlessly
  adverb
• unprofited
  adjective
• profiter
  noun
• profitlessness
  noun
• proprofit
  adjective
• profitless
  adjective
• self-profit
  noun

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have profited
  perfect
• has profited
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is profiting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are profiting
  progressive
• has been profiting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been profiting
  perfect progressive
• am profiting
  progressive 1st person singular
• profiting
  participle
• profits
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had profited
  perfect
• was profiting
  progressive singular
• were profiting
  progressive plural
• had been profiting
  perfect progressive
• profited
  participle
• profited
  simple

Future

• will profit
  simple
• will have profited
  perfect
• will have been profiting
  perfect progressive
• will be profiting
  progressive

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.

Example Sentences

Rocket Lab has yet to turn a profit.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

Wall Street doesn’t see Rivian producing a full-year profit until 2030, when sales are expected to top 420,000 units.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Scaringe said the company will reach profitability on a per-unit production basis with the R2 this year, but estimated that the company won’t turn an overall profit until closer to 2030.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

That compares with a profit of $62.4 million, or 15 cents a share, in last year’s comparable period.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026

That year, Louis cleared a profit of twenty million dollars, up from nine million before the war started.

From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield

Related Words

• acquisition
• benefit
• bottom line
• earnings
• goods
• harvest
• income
• interest
• output
• percentage
• proceeds
• product
• production
• receipt
• return
• revenue
• saving
• surplus
• turnout
• value