Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

nonprofit

American  
[non-prof-it] / nɒnˈprɒf ɪt /

adjective

  1. not established for the purpose of making a profit; not entered into for money.

    a nonprofit institution.


noun

  1. a nonprofit organization, institution, corporation, or other entity.

nonprofit British  
/ nɒnˈprɒfɪt /

adjective

  1. another word for non-profit-making

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. an organization that is not intended to make a profit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of nonprofit

First recorded in 1900–05; non- + profit

Compare meaning

How does nonprofit compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

A business or organization is nonprofit if its main purpose isn't making money for its owners. Nonprofit companies usually raise money for charities. You can use the word nonprofit as an adjective or a noun — a nonprofit is an organization that benefits some public good, rather than raising revenue for stockholders or owners. There are educational nonprofits, religious nonprofits, public health nonprofits, and many others. The word's been around since the 1920s, combining non, or "not," with profit, from the Latin root profectus, "advance, increase, success, or progress."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing nonprofit

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 Senior Citizens League, an independent nonprofit, puts the figure lower, at 2.8%.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

The second draft law, called the Energy Freedom Act, was produced by the policy nonprofit associated with Hild’s organization.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026

“Lenacapavir could be transformative,” says Peter Maybarduk, director of the access to medicines program at the nonprofit organization Public Citizen, “if people can get it.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

If I do return, I would likely seek work in a church, nonprofit, or municipal role.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Before going to law school, he’d worked in Chicago for three years as a community organizer, earning $12,000 a year from a nonprofit that bound together a coalition of churches.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama