profit

1 of 2

noun

prof·​it ˈprä-fət How to pronounce profit (audio)
often attributive
1
: a valuable return : gain
2
: the excess of returns over expenditure in a transaction or series of transactions
especially : the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost
3
: net income usually for a given period of time
4
: the ratio of profit for a given year to the amount of capital invested or to the value of sales
5
: the compensation accruing to entrepreneurs for the assumption of risk in business enterprise as distinguished from wages or rent
profitless adjective
profitwise adverb

profit

2 of 2

verb

profited; profiting; profits

intransitive verb

1
: to be of service or advantage : avail
2
: to derive benefit : gain
3
: to make a profit

transitive verb

: to be of service to : benefit

Examples of profit in a Sentence

Noun The company made a profit this year. Profits are up from last year. There was a rise in profits this year. The profits from CD sales were donated to charity. The organization is not run for profit. The film made $1,000,000 in profit. The book can be read with profit by anyone who wants to understand how the system works. Verb It would profit him to take some computer classes. The company has profited by selling its products online. He profited greatly from his investments. The island profits from tourism.
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.
Noun
There will be a booth highlighting the work of Loveland High School art students and booths dedicated to two non-profits. Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 3 Sep. 2025 In the gambling business, the folks who generate the profits for the house are — not to put too fine a point on it — the losers. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
Bottom line here is when small business cooks, BDC profits sizzle! Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025 Several online dashboards track how much members of Congress and their families are profiting off stock trading based on the disclosure forms they are required to file, many of which were submitted months late. Nik Popli, Time, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profit

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin profectus advance, profit, from proficere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profit. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

profit

1 of 2 noun
prof·​it ˈpräf-ət How to pronounce profit (audio)
1
: the gain or benefit from something
2
: the gain after all the expenses are subtracted from the amount received
profitless adjective

profit

2 of 2 verb
1
: to get some good out of something : gain
profit by experience
2
: to be of use to (someone) : benefit
an agreement that profited us all

Legal Definition

profit

noun
prof·​it
1
: gain in excess of expenditures: as
a
: the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost
b
: net income from a business, investment, or capital appreciation compare earnings, loss
2
: a benefit or advantage from the use of property

More from Merriam-Webster on profit

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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