profiteer
Americannoun
verb (used without object)
-
profiteers,
present (3rd person singular)
-
profiteered,
past participle, past
-
profiteering
present participle
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
profiteersimple
-
profiteerssimple
-
have profiteeredperfect
-
has profiteeredperfect
-
am profiteeringprogressive
-
are profiteeringprogressive
-
is profiteeringprogressive
-
have been profiteeringperfect progressive
-
has been profiteeringperfect progressive
Past
-
profiteeredsimple
-
had profiteeredperfect
-
was profiteeringprogressive
-
were profiteeringprogressive
-
had been profiteeringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of profiteer
Explanation
To profiteer is to take advantage of a situation or a person in order to make money. A landlord might profiteer during a housing shortage by doubling rents. When you profiteer, you don't just profit — you profit more than you should at the expense of someone else. You can also call a person who does this a profiteer. Profiteers famously take advantage of things like scarce food or ongoing conflicts to make a lot of money. The word existed but wasn't commonly used in English until World War I, when journalists started talking about "war profiteers" who benefited financially from shortages and desperation.
Vocabulary lists containing profiteer
Chapter 5: The American Revolution, Lessons 3–5
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Bull Run
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
SKW's CEO Carsten Franzke says that the company is not a "war profiteer" and will probably just break even once soaring energy costs are also taken into account.
From Barron's ● May 3, 2026
According to Ms. Vaill, he revealed his identity to Angelica, by then pregnant with their fourth child, only after he had made a fortune as a Revolutionary War profiteer and settled his debts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
Questioning of Mr Davidson grew hostile, as the defence tried to paint him as a sleazy Hollywood profiteer.
From BBC ● May 2, 2024
But then, the very act and art of dealmaking, you soon realize, is fundamental to Oskar Schindler’s story, which is, after all, the story of a German war profiteer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
Oskar Schindler has been called many names: scoundrel, womanizer, war profiteer, drunk.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
At the same time, small fly-by-night schools have been opened by profiteers and people with problematic pasts or no educational experience.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
Exchanges and index providers, the profiteers of trading volume, will cash in by quickly listing the stocks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 10, 2026
Next step for the profiteers of the “Michael” movie is its no doubt inevitable sequel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 2, 2026
In that sense, Cronenberg’s films are eerily prescient allegories of our present-day techverse and proselytizing profiteers like Sam Altman and Elon Musk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2024
One senator denounced the various “illegal plots, counterplots, espionage, decoys, dictographs” that were being used not to “detect and prosecute crime but...to shield profiteers, bribe takers and favorites.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
Some supermarket bosses believe theft has been legitimized in the minds of some by accusations that supermarkets have profiteered from food price increases.
From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2023
There had been a significant financial cost to replace the stolen items while colleagues felt "let down" as Todhunter had "profiteered" while they struggled with a lack of PPE equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2021
But he has benefited and profited and profiteered from all of it, each and every day, to the point that he now finds himself in the unique position of being in charge of it now.
From Slate ● Jun. 2, 2020
Instead, the scariest thing about this “Nether” is James Weidman’s thoroughly convincing performance as the defender of a cyberworld he’s built, and profiteered from, that is triggering unexpected meatspace consequences.
From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2018
That Silas should have profiteered when he got the chance was natural.
From Mr. Prohack by Arnold Bennett
“Because of this, charging inflated prices on necessities is considered price gouging and profiteering against vulnerable incarcerated population who have no ability to refuse or shop elsewhere.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Company leaders were wary, worried about safety, failure and accusations of profiteering.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Some directors of registered children's homes believe that profiteering is responsible and cite an increase in property investors entering the sector.
From BBC ● May 20, 2026
"Music festivals should be places where all communities feel welcome, not venues that platform individuals with records of profiteering from antisemitism, racism and other repulsive views."
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Are you silently condemning me for profiteering from the war? Somebody had to import the stockfish, you know.”
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
