PROFIT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does profit mean? 

• PROFIT (noun)
  The noun PROFIT has 2 senses:

1. the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

2. the advantageous quality of being beneficial

  Familiarity information: PROFIT used as a noun is rare.

• PROFIT (verb)
  The verb PROFIT has 2 senses:

1. derive a benefit from

2. make a profit; gain money or materially

  Familiarity information: PROFIT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PROFIT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Synonyms:

earnings; lucre; net; net income; net profit; profit; profits

Hypernyms ("profit" is a kind of...):

income (the financial gain (earned or unearned) accruing over a given period of time)

Meronyms (parts of "profit"):

part; percentage; portion; share (assets belonging to or due to or contributed by an individual person or group)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "profit"):

accumulation ((finance) profits that are not paid out as dividends but are added to the capital base of the corporation)

dividend (that part of the earnings of a corporation that is distributed to its shareholders; usually paid quarterly)

markup (the amount added to the cost to determine the asking price)

gross profit; gross profit margin; margin ((finance) the net sales minus the cost of goods and services sold)

filthy lucre (shameful profit)

fast buck; quick buck (quick or easy earnings)

cleanup; killing (a very large profit)

windfall profit (profit that occurs unexpectedly as a consequence of some event not controlled by those who profit from it)

earning per share (the portion of a company's profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock)

Derivation:

profit (make a profit; gain money or materially)

profiteer (someone who makes excessive profit (especially on goods in short supply))

Sense 2

Meaning:

The advantageous quality of being beneficial

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

gain; profit

Hypernyms ("profit" is a kind of...):

advantage; vantage (the quality of having a superior or more favorable position)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "profit"):

gainfulness; lucrativeness; profitability; profitableness (the quality of affording gain or benefit or profit)

account (the quality of taking advantage)

Derivation:

profit (derive a benefit from)

• PROFIT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they profit    ... he / she / it profits   
Past simple: profited   
Past participle: profited   
-ing form: profiting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Derive a benefit from

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

benefit; gain; profit

Context example:

She profited from his vast experience

Hypernyms (to "profit" is one way to...):

acquire; get (come into the possession of something concrete or abstract)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "profit"):

cash in on (take advantage of or capitalize on)

profiteer (make an unreasonable profit, as on the sale of difficult to obtain goods)

capitalise; capitalize; take advantage (draw advantages from)

pyramid (enlarge one's holdings on an exchange on a continued rise by using paper profits as margin to buy additional amounts)

clear; net; sack; sack up (make as a net profit)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

profit (the advantageous quality of being beneficial)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a profit; gain money or materially

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

profit; turn a profit

Context example:

The company has not profited from the merger

Hypernyms (to "profit" is one way to...):

bring in; clear; earn; gain; make; pull in; realise; realize; take in (earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "profit"):

line one's pockets (make a lot of money)

turn a nice dime; turn a nice dollar; turn a nice penny (make a satisfactory profit)

clean up (make a big profit; often in a short period of time)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

break even (make neither profit nor loss)

lose (fail to make money in a business; make a loss or fail to profit)

Derivation:

profit (the excess of revenues over outlays in a given period of time (including depreciation and other non-cash expenses))

 Context examples 

We profit from the work of the specialists.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Who is it who profits by it?

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He would not have ventured so long a trip had he not expected generous profits.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

An association of two or more peoplecarrying on a business with the goal of earning a profit.

(General Partnership, NCI Thesaurus)

With Neptune linked to Jupiter, this says that your ideas and creativity (Neptune) will directly yield profits (Jupiter).

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The world's largest general non-profit scientific society.

(American Association for the Advancement of Science, NCI Thesaurus)

It is true, it was a vicarious experience, else he would not have lived to profit by it.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

“The money cannot be found. Surely it is better for you to take the substantial sum which I offer than to ruin this woman’s career, which can profit you in no way?”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

To the end of turning to profit the talents which God has committed to your keeping; and of which He will surely one day demand a strict account.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"It seems to me that Jo will profit more by taking the trial than by waiting," said Mrs. March.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)