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

Todd Boehly, the billionaire chairman of private equity firm Eldridge Industries, acquired the Golden Globes in 2023, dissolved the nonprofit HFPA and converted the awards show into a for-profit enterprise. — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

The hospitals that closed were more likely to be smaller, for-profit and safety-net hospitals, which generally treat more vulnerable communities and uninsured patients, the study said. — Daniel Wu, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Costs were higher in counties where water systems are run by for-profit corporations, the group said. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

For research conducted today in both academic organizations and for-profit companies, ownership of intellectual property is generally held by these organizations rather than the human discoverers now named in patents. — Jeffrey S. Flier, STAT, 5 Oct. 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