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
The company, founded by Terry and his wife Kathy, on July 5, 2005, is donating all of the profits from sales at all 36 stores Thursday to the Austin Disaster Relief Network's Central Texas Flood campaign. Matthew Odam, Austin American Statesman, 25 July 2025 Lygo was joined by ITV boss Carolyn McCall as the network unveiled a set of half-year results that saw profits slashed by 30%, which the broadcaster mainly put down to a stronger six months in 2024 when the men’s Euros soccer tournament was on. Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 July 2025
Verb
In a culture that still profits from shame, Sturino has become a sharp, savvy counterforce. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025 Yet, instead of profiting French movies, the lack of true U.S. blockbusters has hurt even local pics. Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 July 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 29 Jul. 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

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