profit

[prof-it]

noun

1. Often profits.

   1. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction.

   2. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.

   3. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.

   Synonyms: return
   Antonyms: loss

2. the monetary surplus left to a producer or employer after deducting wages, rent, cost of raw materials, etc..

   The company works on a small margin of profit.

   Synonyms: net income

3. advantage; benefit; gain.

   Synonyms: worth, use, avail, good

verb (used without object)

1. to gain an advantage or benefit.

   He profited greatly from his schooling.

2. to make a profit.

3. to take advantage.

   to profit from the weaknesses of others.

4. to be of service or benefit.

5. to make progress.

verb (used with object)

1. to be of advantage or profit to.

   Nothing profits one so much as a sound education.

   Synonyms: help, advance

profit

/ ˈprɒfɪt /

noun

1. (often plural) excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise over a given period of time, usually a year

2. the monetary gain derived from a transaction

3. 1. income derived from property or an investment, as contrasted with capital gains

   2. the ratio of this income to the investment or principal

4. economics

   1. the income or reward accruing to a successful entrepreneur and held to be the motivating factor of all economic activity in a capitalist economy

   2. ( as modifier )

      the profit motive

5. a gain, benefit, or advantage

verb

1. to gain or cause to gain profit

Other Word Forms

• profiter noun
• profitless adjective
• profitlessly adverb
• profitlessness noun
• proprofit adjective
• self-profit noun
• unprofited adjective
• unprofiting adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of profit¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the noun) Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin prōfectus “progress, profit,” noun use of past participle of prōficere “to make progress,” from prō- pro- ¹ + -ficere, combining form of facere “to do, make” ( fact ); verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of profit¹

C14: from Latin prōfectus advance, from prōficere to make progress; see _proficient

Example Sentences

The halt in production is a fresh blow to the firm which recently revealed a slump in profits attributed to an increase in costs caused by US tariffs.

From BBC

I wasn’t looking at them for profit — I was looking at them because it was just fun to collect my team.

From Los Angeles Times

"We need a progressive tax system – a tax on online gaming companies and gambling companies, a tax on windfall profits which the banks and financial institutions have seen over the last couple of years."

From BBC

“The law is clear: competition, not coercion, should decide what news channels Americans can watch. By leveraging its must-have status, Fox has blocked new voices, suppressed consumer choice, and extracted excess profits.”

From Salon

The shop is a nonprofit owned by SAY Detroit, with 100% of profits supporting local programs, including clinics, housing, and youth education.

From Salon

Related Words

• acquisition 
• benefit 
• bottom line 
• earnings 
• goods 
• harvest 
• income 
• interest 
• output 
• percentage 
• proceeds 
• product 
• production 
• receipt 
• return 
• revenue 
• saving 
• surplus 
• turnout 
• value 

When To Use

What are other ways to say profit?

A profit is a gain or valuable return. How does it differ from an advantage or a benefit? Find out on Thesaurus.com.