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
-
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.
A year ago, Applied Optoelectronics was a sleepy, unprofitable tech stock best known for crashing in 2017 when orders from Amazon.com dried up.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
The SI media business was unprofitable under Bhargava and Arena missed a payment to Authentic on its licensing deal.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026
Viewers have shifted away from linear TV, and while Disney has switched its focus to growing its Disney+ streaming platform, that’s proven expensive and, until recently, unprofitable.
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
PwC said NCP had a "high concentration" of inflexible leases that prevented it from reducing costs or scrapping unprofitable car parks.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Oddly, Cassano was as likely to direct his anger at profitable traders as at unprofitable ones, for the anger was triggered not by financial loss but by the faintest whiff of insurrection.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
