nonprofit

American  

[non-prof-it] / nɒnˈprɒf ɪt /

adjective

1. not established for the purpose of making a profit; not entered into for money.

   a nonprofit institution.

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noun

1. a nonprofit organization, institution, corporation, or other entity.

nonprofit British  

/ nɒnˈprɒfɪt /

adjective

1. another word for non-profit-making

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noun

1. an organization that is not intended to make a profit

Etymology

Origin of nonprofit

First recorded in 1900–05; non- + profit

Compare meaning

How does nonprofit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• nonprofit vs. not-for-profit
• for-profit vs. nonprofit

Explanation

A business or organization is nonprofit if its main purpose isn't making money for its owners. Nonprofit companies usually raise money for charities. You can use the word nonprofit as an adjective or a noun — a nonprofit is an organization that benefits some public good, rather than raising revenue for stockholders or owners. There are educational nonprofits, religious nonprofits, public health nonprofits, and many others. The word's been around since the 1920s, combining non, or "not," with profit, from the Latin root profectus, "advance, increase, success, or progress."

Example Sentences

The pavilion commissioner is a newly formed nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, run by former pet-supply shop owner Jenni Parido.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

The operation drew the attention of several dozen onlookers, who were standing in line as part of a food giveaway by a local nonprofit called the Dream Center Foundation.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

To maximize the savings, the nonprofit communications director and her husband then sold their gas car to fund a home solar system.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The grim conditions spurred inmates to form advocacy groups like Group 31, which was officially created as a nonprofit to lobby corrections officials and lawmakers to improve inmates’ quality of life.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Before going to law school, he’d worked in Chicago for three years as a community organizer, earning $12,000 a year from a nonprofit that bound together a coalition of churches.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• unsuccessful
• worthless