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

• profitless adjective
• profiter noun
• 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

In another proposal, Edison has asked the commission to raise customer bills by 2.1% to increase profits going to its investors, according to its customer notice.

From Los Angeles Times

Kim told the newspaper that he profited a couple thousand dollars a month, and framed his business as a way of helping elderly Korean golfers without tech savvy to navigate the online golf reservation system.

From Los Angeles Times

I can guarantee you one thing: He has already calculated how he will profit from the recent turn of events.

From Salon

The attacks on Mann encompassed death threats and “demands for him to be fired from his job, all because his findings threaten the profits of the fossil fuel industry.”

From Los Angeles Times

The company reported a net loss of $99.6 million in the second quarter, compared with a net profit of approximately $55.6 million in the same quarter a year earlier.

From Los Angeles Times

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.