unprofitable
Americanadjective
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being without profit; not showing or turning a profit.
a series of unprofitable ventures.
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pointless or futile.
an unprofitable three years in a routine job.
adjective
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not making a profit
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not fruitful or beneficial
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unprofitable
1275–1325; Middle English. See un- 1, profitable
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.
It stated that all five New Zealand provinces were cumulatively unprofitable across the past six years, with current holders the Hurricanes posting a loss of $1.4m in 2023 and almost $2m in 2025.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Among those was a broad programme to privatise unprofitable state-owned enterprises -- long a guarantee of lifelong so-called "iron rice bowl" employment for millions but which drained public finances.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
OpenAI, an unprofitable private company, plans to lease the project; the $250 billion pledge would help its backers get better terms on the financing necessary to build it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Not only are many companies within the microcap index unprofitable, but many included biotech companies haven’t yet booked any revenue.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 6, 2026
The group’s current president, Carrie Chapman Catt, agreed, calling the protesters “unwise and unprofitable to the cause.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
