lucrative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
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.
The burgeoning popularity of Banana Ball has made the gig more lucrative than playing in the minor leagues.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
The company’s most lucrative product is not hardware but the hidden software in 275 million cars on the road today.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026
DeChambeau's LIV contract is up at the end of this season and he was looking to sign a lucrative new deal.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
For companies like Constellation Energy and Quanta Services, it means potentially lucrative contracts to provide the power needed to run AI data centers and related infrastructure.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
By war’s end, the Coalwood mine was a lucrative little operation, envied across the county.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
