profitable

adjective

prof·​it·​able ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl How to pronounce profitable (audio)
ˈpräf-tə-bəl
: affording profits : yielding advantageous returns or results
profitability noun
profitableness noun
profitably adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
During the 1930s, the John Day Company found novels about China to be immensely profitable—but interest in such books had fallen since World War II, and the publisher urgently needed to make money. H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 26 July 2025 While Rocket Lab's stock is up 800% over the past year, according to Forbes, the company is not yet profitable. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 26 July 2025 When companies are willing to pay a cost per click, the world is designed to distract - and that design is profitable. Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 26 July 2025 Even with Mbappe’s huge wage coming onboard, Madrid were profitable last season, to the tune of €24m (£20m) after tax. Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 25 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for profitable

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of profitable was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Profitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profitable. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

profitable

adjective
prof·​it·​able ˈpräf-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce profitable (audio)
ˈpräf-tə-bəl
: producing profit
profitably adverb

Legal Definition

profitable

adjective
prof·​it·​able ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl How to pronounce profitable (audio)
: affording profits : yielding advantageous returns or results
profitability noun
profitableness noun
profitably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on profitable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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