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

nonprofits plural

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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• nonprofits
  plural

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

See Examples For:

nonprofit nonprofits

Disclosure: Simone Otus Coxe and The New York Times have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2026

“AIs are getting much more capable very rapidly,” said Ryan Greenblatt, chief scientist at Redwood Research, a nonprofit that works on AI safety and security research.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Frosted Faces Foundation in Ramona, a nonprofit that rescues senior dogs, is photographed on February 20, 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Marjorie Reynolds, a pediatric nurse, quickly formed a nonprofit, the Prairie Dog Alliance, to oppose the project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

The business plan for a community development nonprofit is nestled in my carry-on briefcase, alongside a photo of that sneaker and its jumble of shoelace.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

The Times spoke with the heads of four of these nonprofits, all who said they feel like they’re flying blind and are contemplating cuts to services.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

Many nonprofits reported that they are struggling with tight budgets, making it difficult to meet the growing needs of their communities, the Boston Fed said.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 15, 2026

Professional groups representing cancer researchers, civil engineers, county governments, medical schools, housing agencies, city and municipal governments, nonprofits and others have publicly expressed concerns about potential consequences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Two beneficiaries are nonprofits founded by his wife, Jennifer Siebel: the Representation Project and the California Partners Project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026

Here were women, all of them under thirty and some as young as sixteen, who were building nonprofits, training other women to be entrepreneurs, and risking imprisonment to report on government corruption.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• unsuccessful
• worthless