unprofitable

adjective

un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl
: not profitable : producing no gain, good, or result
an unprofitable venture
unprofitableness noun
unprofitably
ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-blē How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl
adverb

Examples of unprofitable in a Sentence

an unprofitable effort to find the information
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.
The business is unprofitable, and finding those external customers is seen as key to turning it around. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2025 But for now, building extremely capable AI models is incredibly expensive—and, at the moment, incredibly unprofitable. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025 There's also a lot of selling in unprofitable, speculative stocks. Jeff Marks, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025 Some analysts are worried there is a bubble in tech, as unprofitable small-cap tech companies are outperforming companies with actual profits on the Russell 2000. Jim Edwards, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unprofitable

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

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

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Cite this Entry

“Unprofitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprofitable. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

unprofitable

adjective
un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈpräf-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl,
ˈən-
: not profitable
unprofitably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unprofitable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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