lucrative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- lucratively adverb
- lucrativeness noun
- nonlucrative adjective
- nonlucratively adverb
- nonlucrativeness noun
- unlucrative adjective
Etymology
Origin of lucrative
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English lucratif, from Middle French, from Latin lucrātīvus “gainful,” from lucrāt(us) “profited” (past participle of lucrārī “to make a profit, gain by economy”; see lucre) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Use lucrative to refer to a business or investment that makes money. While your parents might want you to pursue a lucrative career, you're committed to your plan of becoming a professional mime. This adjective is from the Latin word lucrum, meaning "profit." In Latin, lucrum also meant "greed," a negative sense preserved in the English phrase filthy lucre, or "shameful profit or gain." But the word lucrative doesn't carry a similar sense of shame — if your lawn-mowing job proves lucrative over the summer, you might be able to buy yourself a used car.
Vocabulary lists containing lucrative
Grade 10, List 2
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Hidden Figures
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Fast Food Nation
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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.
“Philosophy had expanded his ability to think, Aristotle had clarified its purpose, and television provided him with a lucrative arena in which to prove it,” Ms. Finn writes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Beyond the emotional toll, losing partial vision has robbed Castellanos of a potentially lucrative career in esports, according to Pedram Esfandiary, one of his attorneys.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026
This epistemic shift has birthed a lucrative wellness industry, featuring all manner of advice, concerns, and devices, where a frightening sales pitch or emotional story takes the place of scientific consensus.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
The legal battle centres around Hope Downs, one of Australia's largest and most lucrative iron ore projects.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Jack Neylan and Rowan Gaither steered him away from most of these, including a lucrative invitation to join the Monsanto Company board.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
