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Synonyms

profiteering

American  
[pro-fi-teer-ing] / ˌprɒ fɪˈtɪər ɪŋ /

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.

Etymology

Origin of profiteering

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

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.

This is not the first time that Gilead has been accused of profiteering.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 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

People appear to have been profiteering on the prediction-market website Polymarket as well, beginning with Trump’s military operation in Venezuela.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

"I don't want to tar every business with the same brush by any means, but there is some profiteering."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

My profiteering shopkeepers will be useless for this task.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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.