lucrative

American  

[loo-kruh-tiv] / ˈlu krə tɪv /

adjective

1. profitable; moneymaking; remunerative.

   a lucrative business.

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lucrative British  

/ ˈluːkrətɪv /

adjective

1. producing a profit; profitable; remunerative

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• lucrativeness
  noun
• unlucrative
  adjective
• nonlucratively
  adverb
• nonlucrative
  adjective
• lucratively
  adverb
• nonlucrativeness
  noun

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.

Related Words

• advantageous
• fruitful
• good
• money-making
• profitable
• worthwhile