as in lucrative
yielding a profit
graduated from school and went looking for gainful employment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gainful
At her age, being prickly was neither enchanting nor gainful.
—
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The gainful employment rule is intended to help students avoid low-value programs that leave them with too much debt and minimal earning potential.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were gainful, unfailing and unflagging.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Or workers could simply have given up on Martinsville and moved elsewhere in search of gainful employment.
—Gordon H. Hanson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gainful
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The gainful employment rule is intended to help students avoid low-value programs that leave them with too much debt and minimal earning potential.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were gainful, unfailing and unflagging.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Or workers could simply have given up on Martinsville and moved elsewhere in search of gainful employment.
—Gordon H. Hanson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gainful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gainful
Adjective
-
Lemon was paid out his lucrative CNN contract and went on to become one of the first traditional TV journalists to go independent and produce his own program for distribution on social media platforms.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Heather Gay knows the challenges of maintaining an impeccable appearance, whether on camera, through her lucrative beauty business or as a former member of the Mormon church.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Such greed and corruption have resulted in historic profits for MA plans (indeed, MA plans are the most profitable insurance product).—
Marianne Pizzitola,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The most politically profitable stance would be capitulation.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Using a Cost Per Point (CPP) model in advertising can be worthwhile for campaigns targeting specific audience segments.—
Ethan Stone,
Miami Herald,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Because the Seahawks have nailed so many early-round picks in recent years, Berry’s expertise would be worthwhile.—
Alec Lewis,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gainful. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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