paper profit

American  

noun

1. an unrealized profit due to the appreciation of something owned but not yet sold.

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Etymology

Origin of paper profit

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Investors have been trying to capture earnings momentum in AI-related semiconductor stocks and the potential for larger profits for oil producers, sending stocks in those industries higher.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Higher wages and larger profits also generate money for the government through taxes.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2024

Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech initially sold most of their doses to the U.S. government but are now selling the shots globally on the open market, with even larger profits at stake.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 28, 2022

Many of the highest-ranking executives in the survey received pay packages that were far larger than those of the heads of far bigger companies with much larger profits.

From New York Times • Jun. 25, 2022

It is easy to understand that the larger profits of the small retailer have very little chance of accumulation against the smaller profits of the large retailer.

From Knowledge is Power: A View of the Productive Forces of Modern Society and the Results of Labor, Capital and Skill. by Knight, Charles