profit

1 of 2

noun

prof·​it ˈprä-fət How to pronounce profit (audio)
often attributive
Synonyms of profitnext
1
: a valuable return : gain
2
: the excess of returns over expenditure in a transaction or series of transactions
especially : the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost
3
: net income usually for a given period of time
4
: the ratio of profit for a given year to the amount of capital invested or to the value of sales
5
: the compensation accruing to entrepreneurs for the assumption of risk in business enterprise as distinguished from wages or rent
profitless
ˈprä-fət-ləs How to pronounce profit (audio)
adjective
profitwise
ˈprä-fət-ˌwīz How to pronounce profit (audio)
adverb

profit

2 of 2

verb

profited; profiting; profits

intransitive verb

1
: to be of service or advantage : avail
2
: to derive benefit : gain
3
: to make a profit

transitive verb

: to be of service to : benefit

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of profit in a Sentence

Noun The company made a profit this year. Profits are up from last year. There was a rise in profits this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Southern European countries wanted contributions to be relative to their GDP and asked the EU to find other funding sources, such as the remaining profits generated by Russia's frozen assets. — Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025 The idea of an investment obligation is based on the French model so that the profits [from the streamers] don’t flow untaxed to the USA, so to speak. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
Of course, with any innovation, early investors are poised to profit, Chen notes. — Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025 Addressing The Challenges For Smaller Whisky Firms While the whisky industry is thriving and full of opportunity, its rapid expansion has attracted many new companies eager to profit from this booming market. — Nick Green, Forbes, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profit

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin profectus advance, profit, from proficere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of profit was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing profit

Rhymes for profit

See All Rhymes for profit

Browse Nearby Words

profilometer
profit
profitable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profit. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

profit

1 of 2 noun
prof·​it ˈpräf-ət How to pronounce profit (audio)
1
: the gain or benefit from something
2
: the gain after all the expenses are subtracted from the amount received
profitless
-ləs How to pronounce profit (audio)
adjective

profit

2 of 2 verb
1
: to get some good out of something : gain
profit by experience
2
: to be of use to (someone) : benefit
an agreement that profited us all

Legal Definition

profit

noun
prof·​it
1
: gain in excess of expenditures: as
a
: the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost
b
: net income from a business, investment, or capital appreciation compare earnings, loss
2
: a benefit or advantage from the use of property

More from Merriam-Webster on profit

Nglish: Translation of profit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about profit

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