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 result was a land rush, during which short-term profiteering from slash-and-burn agriculture prevented anything resembling sustainable development.
—Jeff Tollefson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2013
Last week, some Senate Democrats balked at passing a popular crypto-friendly bill in light of the President’s naked profiteering.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
His family’s worldwide profiteering and his own cryptocurrency ventures reflect a staggering assumption of impunity.
1933 and 2025 — a comparison
America was despairing when FDR took office in March 1933.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025
The speculative assets were immediately condemned by ethics experts as a profiteering effort and a conflict of interest.
—Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profiteering
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Jeff Tollefson, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2013
Last week, some Senate Democrats balked at passing a popular crypto-friendly bill in light of the President’s naked profiteering.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 14 May 2025
His family’s worldwide profiteering and his own cryptocurrency ventures reflect a staggering assumption of impunity.
1933 and 2025 — a comparison
America was despairing when FDR took office in March 1933.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 May 2025
The speculative assets were immediately condemned by ethics experts as a profiteering effort and a conflict of interest.
—Vivienne Walt, New York Times, 25 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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