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Synonyms

unprofitable

American  
[uhn-prof-i-tuh-buhl] / ʌnˈprɒf ɪ tə bəl /

adjective

  1. being without profit; not showing or turning a profit.

    a series of unprofitable ventures.

  2. pointless or futile.

    an unprofitable three years in a routine job.


unprofitable British  
/ ʌnˈprɒfɪtəbəl /

adjective

  1. not making a profit

  2. not fruitful or beneficial

"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

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.

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

The stock got crushed in early 2022 as the market cooled and interest rates rose, triggering a shift out of smaller, unprofitable growth companies.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

Administrators PwC said this week it had a "high concentration" of inflexible, long-term leases that prevented it from reducing costs or scrapping unprofitable sites.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 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

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