profiteering

[pro-fi-teer-ing]

noun

1. the act or practice of seeking exorbitant profits, especially through the sale of scarce or rationed goods.

   The companies who raised prices before, during, or after the hurricane were charged with profiteering.

Word History and Origins

Origin of profiteering¹

First recorded in 1810–15; profit ( def. ) + -eer ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. )

Related Words

• crooked 
• fraudulent 
• nefarious 
• rotten 
• shady 
• unethical 
• unscrupulous 
• untrustworthy 
• venal