nonprofit
Americanadjective
noun
-
nonprofits
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nonprofit
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."
Vocabulary lists containing nonprofit
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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.
See Examples For:
ChatGPT’s guardrails for underage users fall short of OpenAI’s commitments to child safety, according to a report from the AI arm of the nonprofit group Common Sense Media.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
The news conference, attended by more than a dozen parents, was organized by California Rising, a nonprofit that describes itself as advocating for public safety, and cleaner, stronger neighborhoods.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
Money Management International has seen a 35% jump year over year in Gen Z clients who have an average unsecured debt of $20,152, according to Ted Rossman, principal consumer-finance analyst at the debt-counseling nonprofit.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026
The nonprofit Nefesh B’Nefesh expects more than 4,000 North Americans to immigrate to Israel in 2026, with an average age of 29.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Some became Public Allies staff themselves; some are now even leaders in government agencies and inside national nonprofit organizations.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Several nonprofits have launched venture groups to help biotechs advance early-stage science, connect with patients and attract additional investors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
City officials said they looked into the nonprofits after receiving complaints about how often they used the fields.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
“It puts the small businesses and nonprofits that put on shows every night at risk. And, it endangers fans’ economic well-being.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The FinEd50 coalition, backed by nonprofits and corporations, is also working to help.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 26, 2026
She’s also an apprentice grant writer for “a handful” of nonprofits, and she’s the VP of her university’s Pride organization.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
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.
