Word of the Day

: March 11, 2015

lucrative

adjective LOO-kruh-tiv

What It Means

: producing wealth : profitable

lucrative in Context

The company announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations soon after it won a lucrative contract with the government.

"Many mistakenly believe they need to spend years in school … before they can start earning a decent salary; this is simply a misconception. In fact, there are a number of lucrative jobs out there that don't require a college degree." - Laura Woods, Dallas Morning News, January 23, 2015

Did You Know?

Paying, gainful, remunerative, and lucrative share the meaning of bringing in a return of money, but each term casts a different light on how much green you take in. Paying is the word for jobs that yield the smallest potatoes-your first paying job probably provided satisfactory compensation, but you weren't going to get rich by it. Gainful employment might offer a bit more cash, and gainful certainly suggests that an individual is motivated by a desire for gain. Remunerative implies that a job provides more than the usual rewards, but a lucrative position is the one you want-those are the kind that go well beyond your initial hopes or expectations.