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.

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noun

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

nonprofit British  

/ nɒnˈprɒfɪt /

adjective

1. another word for non-profit-making

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noun

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

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:

• nonprofit vs. not-for-profit
• for-profit vs. nonprofit

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."

Example Sentences

The pavilion commissioner is a newly formed nonprofit, the American Arts Conservancy, run by former pet-supply shop owner Jenni Parido.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Musk is asking the courts to remove Altman and Brockman from their leadership roles as well as up to $180 billion in damages from OpenAI’s for-profit arm to its nonprofit parent.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

He would become a major private donor to the United Nations, pledging $1 billion and launching the United Nations Foundation nonprofit.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

To maximize the savings, the nonprofit communications director and her husband then sold their gas car to fund a home solar system.

From MarketWatch • May 6, 2026

The Pew report, done in cooperation with several other nonprofit groups, found that nearly 90 percent of teachers said the Internet is creating “an easily distracted generation with short attention spans.”

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

Related Words

• unsuccessful
• worthless