profitable

adjective

prof·​it·​able ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl 

ˈpräf-tə-bəl

: affording profits : yielding advantageous returns or results

profitability

ˌprä-fə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

profitableness

ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl-nəs 

noun

profitably

ˈprä-fə-tə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• lucrative
• worthwhile

Examples of profitable in a Sentence

The movie was very profitable.

selling real estate on the side turned out to be a profitable venture for the stay-at-home mom

Recent Examples on the Web

Poonen said the combination, which brought together his fast-growing but unprofitable firm with the larger, highly profitable Veritas, was a risky but calculated deal. —Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2025

It also can be intentionally released if pressure in the system poses a safety risk or if capturing and transporting it to be sold is not profitable. —ProPublica, 4 Sep. 2025

The ruling ensures that this highly profitable revenue stream remains intact for now. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

The militias are powerful and, because of their control of smuggling and other criminal activity, profitable. —Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for profitable

• unprofitable

Kids Definition

profitable

adjective

prof·​it·​able ˈpräf-ət-ə-bəl 

ˈpräf-tə-bəl

: producing profit

profitably

-blē 

adverb

Legal Definition

profitable

adjective

prof·​it·​able ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl 

: affording profits : yielding advantageous returns or results

profitability

ˌprä-fə-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

profitableness noun

profitably adverb