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
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.
Documents related to SpaceX’s initial public offering show the company is unprofitable and CEO Elon Musk controls 85% of the vote.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The insurers behind the Medicare Advantage market have been exiting certain unprofitable markets or discontinuing plans amid higher-than-expected medical expenses among subscribers and changes in government payments that have squeezed margins.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
While the company recently signed a $20 billion deal with OpenAI for compute capacity, it remains unprofitable and heavily dependent on two major customers in the United Arab Emirates.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
Analysts upgrade Agilon Health, citing improved Medicare Advantage rates and a strategic exit from unprofitable contracts.
From Barron's • May 7, 2026
As they say in Ekumenical School, when action grows unprofitable, gather information; when information grows unprofitable, sleep.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
