unprofitable
Americanadjective
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being without profit; not showing or turning a profit.
a series of unprofitable ventures.
-
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.
Despite a pandemic-stimulus-fueled golden age for unprofitable companies, the stock had dropped to $3.55 the following year when an offer to take Casper private was accepted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
That means trimming exposure to the companies most dependent on cheap capital: small-capitalization companies that are highly leveraged, unprofitable growth stocks and speculative businesses that constantly need to refinance.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Along with technological advances and government support, unprofitable reactor companies like NuScale and providers of nuclear reactor fuel such as Centrus saw huge investor interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
