profit

[prof-it]

See more synonyms for profit on Thesaurus.com

noun

Often profits.
1. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction.Compare gross profit, net profit.
2. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.
3. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.
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.
advantage; benefit; gain.

verb (used without object)

to gain an advantage or benefit: He profited greatly from his schooling.
to make a profit.
to take advantage: to profit from the weaknesses of others.
to be of service or benefit.
to make progress.

verb (used with object)

to be of advantage or profit to: Nothing profits one so much as a sound education.

Origin of profit

1250–1300; (noun) Middle English < Middle French < Latin prōfectus progress, profit, equivalent to prō- pro-¹ + -fec-, combining form of facere to make, do¹ + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) Middle English profiten, derivative of the noun

Related formsprof·it·er, nounprof·it·less, adjectiveprof·it·less·ly, adverbprof·it·less·ness, nounpro·prof·it, adjectiveself-prof·it, nounun·prof·it·ed, adjectiveun·prof·it·ing, adjective

Can be confusedprofit prophet

Synonyms for profit

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

1. return. 2. net income. 3. good, welfare, advancement, improvement. 4, 9. advance, improve.

Synonym study

3. See advantage.

Antonyms for profit

1. loss.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for profiting

earn, contribute, prosper, thrive, improve, better, use, promote, help, pay, clear, serve, utilize, avail, benefit, score, aid, recover, realize, exploit

Examples from the Web for profiting

Contemporary Examples of profiting

Allowing residents to grow, smoke, and gift weed, it legalizes participating in the weed community, but not profiting from it.
The Real Election Winner: Weed
Abby Haglage
November 5, 2014
Modern angst aside, those with those with specialized grooming simply seem to have a better chance of shining and profiting.
Get Elected, Get Your Kids Rich: Washington Is Spoiled Rotten
Clare Malone
February 27, 2014
The legislature of Montana enacted a new law to keep him from profiting from his own version of the story.
The Ballad of Johnny France
Richard Ben Cramer
January 12, 2014
Beyond his on-screen participation, Ai gave Klayman free rein on the film and is not profiting from it.
New Film Captures Ai Weiwei’s Defiance
Dan Levin
July 27, 2012
Why they should even be profiting from such ratings is another equally troubling issue.
Standard & Poor’s and Other Ratings Agencies Must End Their Power Trip
Zachary Karabell
January 12, 2012

Historical Examples of profiting

Profiting by these aids, an improved type of cable was designed.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
Dimly it passed through my mind that she had been profiting by her lessons lately.
It Happened in Egypt
C. N. Williamson
To take your life would be to deprive you of the means of profiting by this lesson.
The Lion's Skin
Rafael Sabatini
The vigilantes themselves, profiting by the momentary diversion, got away.
The Mountain Divide
Frank H. Spearman
"Yes, sir," replied Bottles quickly, profiting by Paddy's lesson.
The O'Ruddy
Stephen Crane

British Dictionary definitions for profiting

profit

noun

(often plural) excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time, usually a year
the monetary gain derived from a transaction
1. income derived from property or an investment, as contrasted with capital gains
2. the ratio of this income to the investment or principal
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
a gain, benefit, or advantage

verb

to gain or cause to gain profit

Derived Formsprofiter, nounprofitless, adjective

Word Origin for profit

C14: from Latin prōfectus advance, from prōficere to make progress; see proficient

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for profiting

profit

mid-13c., "income;" c.1300, "benefit, advantage;"from Old French prufit, porfit "profit, gain" (mid-12c.), from Latin profectus "profit, advance, increase, success, progress," noun use of past participle of proficere (see proficiency). As the opposite of loss, it replaced Old English gewinn. Profit margin attested from 1853.

profit

early 14c., "to advance, benefit, gain," from profit (n.) and from Old French prufiter, porfiter "to benefit," from prufit (see profit (n.)). Related: Profited; profiting.