profiteer
noun
prof·i·teer
ˌprä-fə-ˈtir 
: one who makes what is considered an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency
profiteer
intransitive verb
Examples of profiteer in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Health care should be run by caregivers dedicated to the mission of healing people and serving the public, not by profiteers and their agents.
—
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
But the foundation appears to be consistent with Musk’s general disdain toward non-profit work, giving ammo to his detractors who see him as less of a visionary and more of a trolling profiteer hell-bent on acquiring power.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
International aid organizations are cast as profiteers making money off human misery.
—Ken Bensinger Federico Rios, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Criminals are looting the aid and profiteers are selling it at exorbitant prices.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
The key chess piece is Paul Atreides, who is seeking some payback against those who killed his dad, villains who also happen to the oppressors and profiteers on the spice-rich Arrakis.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024
Alexander Smirnov was, in many ways, the archetype of an informant operating in the shadowlands of the former Soviet Union — a profiteer, fixer and gossip who promoted his ability to make sense of a confusing landscape to American law enforcement agencies.
—Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
But as corporate profiteers take over end-of-life care in the U.S., the system is failing many people in their moment of greatest need.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
And that brings us to a linchpin of Kennedy’s efforts to change Cadiz’s image from water profiteer to responsible steward of a precious, and increasingly scarce, natural resource.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024
Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024
But the foundation appears to be consistent with Musk’s general disdain toward non-profit work, giving ammo to his detractors who see him as less of a visionary and more of a trolling profiteer hell-bent on acquiring power.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024
International aid organizations are cast as profiteers making money off human misery.
—Ken Bensinger Federico Rios, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Criminals are looting the aid and profiteers are selling it at exorbitant prices.
—Claire Parker, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024
The key chess piece is Paul Atreides, who is seeking some payback against those who killed his dad, villains who also happen to the oppressors and profiteers on the spice-rich Arrakis.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024
Alexander Smirnov was, in many ways, the archetype of an informant operating in the shadowlands of the former Soviet Union — a profiteer, fixer and gossip who promoted his ability to make sense of a confusing landscape to American law enforcement agencies.
—Kenneth P. Vogel, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024
But as corporate profiteers take over end-of-life care in the U.S., the system is failing many people in their moment of greatest need.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024
And that brings us to a linchpin of Kennedy’s efforts to change Cadiz’s image from water profiteer to responsible steward of a precious, and increasingly scarce, natural resource.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'profiteer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1912, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near profiteer
Cite this Entry
“Profiteer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profiteer. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
profiteer
noun
prof·i·teer
ˌpräf-ə-ˈti(ə)r
: a person who makes an unfair profit especially on essential goods during an emergency
profiteer
verb
Legal Definition
profiteer
noun
prof·i·teer
ˌprä-fə-ˈtir
: one who makes an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency (as during wartime)
profiteer
intransitive verb
More from Merriam-Webster on profiteer
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for profiteer
Britannica English: Translation of profiteer for Arabic Speakers
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