profit
Americannoun
-
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)
-
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)
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
- profiter noun
- profitless adjective
- profitlessly adverb
- profitlessness noun
- proprofit adjective
- self-profit noun
- unprofited adjective
- unprofiting adjective
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” ( fact ); verb derivative of the noun
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.
Nwaneri's loan will still be fresh in the memory, and the fact that Lewis-Skelly would present pure profit for Arsenal on the balance sheet is also another intriguing factor when discussing his future.
From BBC
Meta's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg took the stand during the trial, pushing back against accusations that his company had done too little to keep underage users off his platform and had profited from their usage.
From Barron's
The funds—known as Maiden Lane, after the New York Fed’s Manhattan address—ultimately made a $12 billion profit.
From Barron's
Utilities, many of which are regulated by state power boards, offer attractive dividend yields, but aren’t known for rapid profit growth.
From Barron's
Investors have been waiting for signs that builders’ profit margins are bottoming as buyer demand remains slow in an expensive market.
From Barron's
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.
