profit

American  

[prof-it] / ˈprɒf ɪt /

noun

1. Often profits.

   1. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction.

   2. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.

   3. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.

   Synonyms:

   return

   Antonyms:

   loss

2. the monetary surplus left to a producer or employer after deducting wages, rent, cost of raw materials, etc..

   The company works on a small margin of profit.

   Synonyms:

   net income

3. advantage; benefit; gain.

   Synonyms:

   worth, use, avail, good

---

verb (used without object)

1. to gain an advantage or benefit.

   He profited greatly from his schooling.

2. to make a profit.

3. to take advantage.

   to profit from the weaknesses of others.

4. to be of service or benefit.

5. to make progress.

verb (used with object)

1. to be of advantage or profit to.

   Nothing profits one so much as a sound education.

   Synonyms:

   help, advance

profit British  

/ ˈprɒfɪt /

noun

1. (often plural) excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time, usually a year

2. the monetary gain derived from a transaction

3. 1. income derived from property or an investment, as contrasted with capital gains

   2. the ratio of this income to the investment or principal

4. economics

   1. the income or reward accruing to a successful entrepreneur and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy

   2. ( as modifier )

      the profit motive

5. a gain, benefit, or advantage

---

verb

1. to gain or cause to gain profit

Usage

What are other ways to say profit? A profit is a gain or valuable return. How does it differ from an advantage or a benefit? Find out on Thesaurus.com. 

Other Word Forms

• profiter noun
• profitless adjective
• profitlessly adverb
• profitlessness noun
• proprofit adjective
• self-profit noun
• unprofited adjective
• unprofiting adjective

Etymology

Origin of profit

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōfectus “progress, profit,” noun use of past participle of prōficere “to make progress,” from prō- pro- ¹ + -ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( fact ); verb derivative of the noun

Example Sentences

That profit funds employees to solve bigger problems for customers.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company, now under their control, positioned itself to profit handsomely if the tariffs were struck down and refunds issued at full value, a charge the firm denies.

From Salon

Australian resources group BHP saw net profit surge almost 28 percent to US$5.64 billion in the final six months of last year, the group's fiscal first half.

From Barron's

Wall Street analysts were expecting a profit of 34 cents on revenue of $10.9 billion.

From Barron's

The vacation rental company’s fourth-quarter profit fell short of analysts’ expectations.

From Barron's

Related Words

• acquisition
• benefit
• bottom line
• earnings
• goods
• harvest
• income
• interest
• output
• percentage
• proceeds
• product
• production
• receipt
• return
• revenue
• saving
• surplus
• turnout
• value