unprofitable

adjective

un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl 

-ˈpräf-tə-bəl

: not profitable : producing no gain, good, or result

an unprofitable venture

unprofitableness noun

unprofitably

ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-blē 

-ˈpräf-tə-blē

adverb

Synonyms of unprofitable

• unsuccessful
• futile
• useless

Examples of unprofitable in a Sentence

an unprofitable effort to find the information

Recent Examples on the Web

SpaceX is also wildly unprofitable. — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 12 June 2026

In some cases, airlines have raised fares or tacked on jet fuel surcharges to ticket prices, while also suspending unprofitable routes. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 3 June 2026

The private sector won’t invest in anything unprofitable, and almost every rail line in the world requires subsidies. — Baruch Feigenbaum, Oc Register, 15 June 2026

OpenAI is also unprofitable, while Anthropic might barely post its first profitable quarter ever at the end of June. — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unprofitable

• profitable

Kids Definition

unprofitable

adjective

un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈpräf-ət-ə-bəl 

-ˈpräf-tə-bəl, 

ˈən-

: not profitable

unprofitably

-blē 

adverb