profit motive

noun

1. the desire for profit that motivates one to engage in business ventures.

profit motive

1. The ability to earn profits as the reason for producers to make and sell goods.

The profit motive is often called a great good or a great evil in society. On the one hand, it is said to represent selfishness; on the other, it is said to drive the free market system. (See invisible hand.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of profit motive¹

First recorded in 1930–35