for-profit

adjective

for-prof·​it ˈfȯr-ˈprä-fət 

: established, maintained, or conducted for the purpose of making a profit

for-profit businesses

Examples of for-profit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At least not after hearing about the FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s proposal to spin off FIFA’s commercial rights into a for-profit company and then sell a twenty-per-cent stake in the new entity to private investors. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2026

Steward, a for-profit hospital chain that operated eight facilities across Massachusetts, filed for bankruptcy in May 2024. — Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 1 Aug. 2026

In California, about 94% of hospice providers are now for-profit, a shift from 20 years ago, when nonprofits dominated the industry in California and nationally. — Laurie Udesky, Miami Herald, 30 July 2026

Lean staffing has also been embraced by for-profit hospitals that aren’t owned by private equity, Wells says. — Alana Semuels, Time, 30 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for for-profit

• nonprofit
• profit
• prophet
• soffit

Kids Definition

for-profit

adjective

for-prof·​it

ˈfȯr-ˈpräf-ət

: existing or carried on for the purpose of making a profit

for-profit business