unprofitable

[uhn-prof-i-tuh-buh l]

See more synonyms for unprofitable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

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.

Origin of unprofitable

1275–1325; Middle English. See un-¹, profitable

Related formsun·prof·it·a·ble·ness, un·prof·it·a·bil·i·ty, nounun·prof·it·a·bly, adverb

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

Examples from the Web for unprofitable

Contemporary Examples

But it was a shadow of its former self: sleepy, unprofitable, and not particularly confident about its complicated past.
Pancakes and Pickaninnies: The Saga of ‘Sambo’s,’ The ‘Racist’ Restaurant Chain America Once Loved
Andrew Romano
June 30, 2014
“The proportion of banks that were unprofitable fell to 8.4 percent from 10.6 percent a year earlier,” the FDIC reported.
Banks Are Thriving Despite Regulations Thanks to Economic Growth
Daniel Gross
May 30, 2013
As a result, many stores are unprofitable, borderline profitable, or experiencing declining revenue.
Why Is Barnes and Noble Getting Out of the Bookstore Business?
Megan McArdle
February 6, 2013
And physical bookstores are — as even Klipper noted — not unprofitable.
Why Is Barnes and Noble Getting Out of the Bookstore Business?
Megan McArdle
February 6, 2013
An unprofitable industry will be forced to cuts routes and flights, leading to fewer consumer choices, frustration and fewer jobs.
Those Awful Airline Fees From United, American, Delta, and the Rest Add Up
William J. McGee
August 13, 2012

Historical Examples

Don't you think we had better avoid all unprofitable discussion?
Viviette
William J. Locke
But the mixture was undoubtedly flat, stale and unprofitable.
The Fortune Hunter
Louis Joseph Vance
Pepsy had no money invested in their unprofitable enterprise, for she had no money to invest.
Pee-wee Harris
Percy Keese Fitzhugh
Numberless women have withered in this unprofitable service to chastity.
The Truth About Woman
C. Gasquoine Hartley
Grip was by no means an idle or unprofitable member of the humble household.
Barnaby Rudge
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for unprofitable

unprofitable

adjective

not making a profit
not fruitful or beneficial

Derived Formsunprofitability or unprofitableness, noununprofitably, adverb

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 unprofitable

adj.

early 14c., from un- (1) "not" + profitable. Related: Unprofitably.

unprofitable

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}unprofitable

Examples from the Web for unprofitable

Contemporary Examples

But it was a shadow of its former self: sleepy, unprofitable, and not particularly confident about its complicated past.

“The proportion of banks that were unprofitable fell to 8.4 percent from 10.6 percent a year earlier,” the FDIC reported.

As a result, many stores are unprofitable, borderline profitable, or experiencing declining revenue.

And physical bookstores are — as even Klipper noted — not unprofitable.

An unprofitable industry will be forced to cuts routes and flights, leading to fewer consumer choices, frustration and fewer jobs.

Historical Examples

Don't you think we had better avoid all unprofitable discussion?

But the mixture was undoubtedly flat, stale and unprofitable.

Pepsy had no money invested in their unprofitable enterprise, for she had no money to invest.

Numberless women have withered in this unprofitable service to chastity.

Grip was by no means an idle or unprofitable member of the humble household.

unprofitable

Word Origin and History for unprofitable

adj.

Origin of unprofitable