unprofitable
Americanadjective
-
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
-
not making a profit
-
not fruitful or beneficial
Other Word Forms
- unprofitability noun
- unprofitableness noun
- unprofitably adverb
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.
"If tourists stayed away, these places would quickly become unprofitable, and tragedies like this would be far less likely to happen," the group added.
From Barron's
The growth in Medicare Advantage, the private-plan alternative to traditional Medicare, has slowed in 2026 as plans quit unprofitable markets and trimmed benefits, but subscriber gains haven’t faltered as badly as expected.
From MarketWatch
For us today, the term “character” allows us to avoid unprofitable debate over how to define the current administration.
From Los Angeles Times
The segment has grown quickly in recent quarters, though it remains unprofitable.
New Orleans; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Richmond, Va.; and Tulsa, Okla. Most were unprofitable, according to a person familiar with the situation.
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.
