profiteering
noun
prof·i·teer·ing
ˌprä-fə-ˈtir-iŋ 
: the act or activity of making an unreasonable profit on the sale of essential goods especially during times of emergency
… investigations unearthed information about industrial profiteering during the First World War …—
Thomas E. Ricks
Thomas E. RicksThe real estate culture in Florida had pushed profiteering to new levels, in large part because of its condominium economy.—Paul Reyes
Paul ReyesExamples of profiteering in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Trump Administration rode to victory by criticizing the high food prices of the Biden-Harris era, while not acknowledging the outsized role of corporate profiteering in these price hikes.
—Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Ortenberg was an early champion of Moore, releasing in 2004 the Flint, Michigan firebrand’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — a connect-the-dots investigation of the George W. Bush presidency, the Iraq war, and corrupt wartime profiteering — which still stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Even some Trump-friendly crypto insiders were uncomfortable with the brazen profiteering of the Trump-coin schemes.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profiteering
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.
Errol Schweizer, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Ortenberg was an early champion of Moore, releasing in 2004 the Flint, Michigan firebrand’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — a connect-the-dots investigation of the George W. Bush presidency, the Iraq war, and corrupt wartime profiteering — which still stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
Even some Trump-friendly crypto insiders were uncomfortable with the brazen profiteering of the Trump-coin schemes.
—Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profiteering
Cite this Entry
“Profiteering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profiteering. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share