English Reference
adjective

profitable

adj.
US /ˈpɹɑfətəbəɫ/ UK /pɹˈɒfɪtəbəl/ prof·itable

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    making more money than you spend on a business or activity.

    yielding a financial profit; where total revenue exceeds total costs.

    Simple

    The company became profitable only two years after it started.

    In context

    The board of directors decided to divest from the retail sector, as it was no longer a profitable venture compared to their digital services.

    lucrativemoney makinggainful
    unprofitableloss making
  2. 02 C1 Advanced Formal

    helpful or useful for your personal growth or a specific goal.

    beneficial, advantageous, or useful in a non-financial context.

    Simple

    We had a very profitable discussion about how to improve the team.

    In context

    The sabbatical proved to be a highly profitable period for the researcher, allowing her to synthesize years of disparate data into a cohesive theory.

Founded in 1337 to generate money for male heirs to the throne, it too became significantly more profitable in recent decades.

The Guardian· 16 Aug 2026

Conflict is welcomed as long as it’s profitable.

The Guardian· 21 Aug 2026

From Old French profitable, equivalent to profit + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old French profitable
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated