profit

profit — noun

1. the amount of money left after a company or person subtracts all the expenses of

1.nounB2
Definition

the amount of money left after a company or person subtracts all the expenses of making or selling something from the total money received

Example

The bakery's annual profit rose by fifteen percent after they started selling online.

annual profit / profit rises by [number]%

After paying the staff and buying ingredients, the restaurant only made a small profit last month.

Common collocations
  • gross profit
  • net profit
  • annual profit
  • profit margin
  • operating profit
  • profit before tax
Synonyms
  • earnings

    broader term; can include wages and investment income, not just business profit

  • return

    specifically used for investment profit, as in 'return on investment'

  • gain

    emphasises an increase in value; often used for sales of assets

Antonyms
  • loss

    the opposite financial result when costs exceed income

Grammar Patterns

profit + of + amount

a profit

profits (plural)

Usage Note

Often used in business and finance. Countable when referring to a specific amount ('a profit of $50,000') or to different profit streams ('the company's profits from three divisions'). Uncountable when used as a general concept ('We need to focus on profit').

Common Mistakes

The company made a big profit 30%.
The company made a 30% profit.
The percentage goes before 'profit,' not after.
Profit is the money you get.
Profit is the money left after costs are subtracted.
Profit is not the same as total income (revenue).

2. the situation in which a business earns more money than it spends, especially wh

2.nounB1
Definition

the situation in which a business earns more money than it spends, especially when described using phrases such as 'turn a profit' or 'show a profit'

Example

The local bookstore finally turned a profit after three difficult years of low sales.

turn a profit — fixed phrase for becoming profitable

Jiwoo's online clothing store began showing a profit just six months after opening.

Common collocations
  • turn a profit
  • show a profit
  • return to profit
  • make a profit
Synonyms
  • profitability

    the noun form describing the state of being profitable rather than the transition

  • break-even

    related but different — break-even is when costs equal income (zero profit), not positive profit

Grammar Patterns

turn a profit

show a profit

return to profit

Usage Note

This sense appears almost exclusively within a small set of fixed verb phrases: 'turn a profit,' 'show a profit,' 'return to profit,' and 'make a profit.' The focus is on the transition from loss or break-even to a profitable state.

Common Mistakes

The business turned profit.
The business turned a profit.
The article 'a' is required in 'turn a profit.'

3. something of value, such as personal growth or useful knowledge, that you get by

3.nounB2
Definition

something of value, such as personal growth or useful knowledge, that you get by choosing to do something in a certain way

Example

Heather read the old letters purely out of curiosity, not for any personal profit.

for [one's] profit — non-financial benefit

Astrid gained little profit from studying until dawn, since she slept through most of the exam.

gained little profit from [activity] — non-financial benefit

Common collocations
  • personal profit
  • much profit
  • little profit
  • profit in doing something
Synonyms
  • benefit

    more common in everyday speech; broader range of contexts

  • advantage

    focuses on a better position or outcome compared to doing nothing

  • gain

    can be tangible or intangible; more neutral in register

Antonyms
  • loss

    when something is wasted or no benefit is gained

  • disadvantage

    the opposite of advantage

Grammar Patterns

profit from + noun

for + possessive + profit

Usage Note

Uncountable only in this sense. Used in formal or thoughtful contexts when the benefit is not measured in money. More common in British English than American English.

Common Mistakes

There are many profits to learning a language.
There is much profit in learning a language.
This sense is uncountable; do not use 'profits' or 'many.'

profit — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

While all five words relate to money received, they differ in scope and timing. 'Profit' is what remains after all costs are paid — the clearest measure of financial success. 'Revenue' is the total money coming in before any costs are subtracted; a company can have high revenue but zero profit. 'Earnings' is broader and can include wages, investment income, or business profit; in corporate reports, 'earnings' often means profit after tax. 'Return' is used for investment contexts, typically as a percentage ('return on investment'). 'Gain' focuses on an increase in value from a specific transaction, such as selling an asset for more than you paid. For example: 'The company reported strong earnings this quarter' could mean profit is good, but 'The company reported strong revenue this quarter' tells you about sales volume only.

profit ↗earnings ↗revenue ↗return ↗gain ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • for profit
  • at a profit
  • with profit
  • profit and loss

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'profit' entered English through Old French 'profit' (modern French 'profit'), which came from Latin 'profectus' meaning 'advance, progress, or increase.' The Latin root 'proficere' combines 'pro-' (forward) and 'facere' (to do, to make), so the original idea was 'to move forward' or 'to make progress.' Over centuries, the meaning shifted from general advancement to the specific financial sense of money gained from business, while the abstract sense of 'advantage' or 'benefit' has remained in use since the Middle Ages.