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”; 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.
The higher a player is drafted, the more lucrative her overall first contract is.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026
Both firms announced they were realigning their strategies to prioritize the lunar project -- and keep their lucrative contracts with NASA.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
While the Magnificent Seven—Google parent Alphabet, Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla—have carried investors to major gains since 2023, the stocks haven’t been as lucrative this year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
Ads could be a lucrative monetization avenue for OpenAI.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
On behalf of IOI, I wish to make you a highly lucrative business proposition, the exact details of which we can discuss in a private chatlink session.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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.
