profit
gb/pɹˈɑfɪt/ us/pɹˈɑfɪt/
B1
English
~ 1000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Money made after expenses
Money you get from selling something after you pay all the costs.
Usage pattern:
[someone] makes a profit on [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'profit' with 'revenue'. Revenue is the total money earned before costs, while profit is what remains after costs are subtracted.
Synonyms
gain (A general term for something obtained, not limited to money.)
|
earnings (Refers to income, often in accounting or business contexts.)
Antonyms
loss (Refers to the amount of money lost when costs exceed income.)
Collocations
make a profit
|profit margin
|net profit
|gross profit
|profit from
Themes
business
|finance
|economics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company reported a record profit this quarter.
- After paying for supplies and rent, she still made a good profit.
- They sell handmade jewelry for a small profit.
- The new product boosted the firm's annual profit.
- We need to reduce costs to increase our profit.
Learner examples
- The store made a big profit.
- He sold his car for a profit.
- We want to make more profit.
- Our profit is small this year.
Verb
B2
action
2
To gain money or benefit
To get money or help from something.
Usage pattern:
[someone] profits from [something]
Common mistake:
Some learners mistakenly use 'profit' as a verb without 'from', but in most cases 'from' is needed to show the source of benefit.
Synonyms
benefit (A broader term that can mean gaining any kind of advantage, not just financial.)
Antonyms
suffer (To experience harm or loss instead of gain.)
Collocations
profit from
|profit greatly
|profit directly
Themes
business
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Many small businesses profited from the tourism boom.
- She profited greatly from her early investments.
- Unscrupulous traders profited from the shortage.
- Farmers profited from the good weather.
- Only a few people profited from the deal.
Learner examples
- I profited from my new job.
- He profited from selling his house.
- We profited from the sale.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
Advantage or benefit gained
A good thing you get from something, not always money.
Synonyms
advantage (A general positive outcome or condition that helps someone.)
Antonyms
disadvantage (A harmful or less favorable condition.)
Collocations
for one's profit
|personal profit
Themes
general
|benefits
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He read widely for his own profit and enjoyment.
- The training will be of great profit to you in your career.
- They shared knowledge for mutual profit.
Learner examples
- The book was of great profit to me.
- He studied for his own profit.
- I learned for my profit.
Grammar
Dictionary form
profit
IPA
GB/pɹˈɑfɪt/
US/pɹˈɑfɪt/
Syllables & stress
profit (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (profit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: profit
- Plural: profit, profits
Verb
- Base: profit
- 3rd Person Singular: profits
- Present Participle: profiting
- Past: profited
Word family
Forms
profits
noun
profiting
verb
profited
verb
Core family
profitable
adjective B1
Related words
profitability
noun B2
profitably
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unprofitable
adjective B2
nonprofit
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
profiteer
noun
Expressions
for profit
3/fɚ pɹˈɑfɪt/
fixed phrase
Intended to make money
Done to make money, not just to help people.
Examples
- They run the school for profit, not charity.
- This is a for-profit organization.
make a profit
1/mˈeɪk ə pɹˈɑfɪt/
fixed phrase
Earn more than spent
To get more money than you spent on something.
Examples
- The shop made a profit on every sale.
- We hope to make a profit by the end of the year.
profit from
2/pɹˈɑfɪt fɹˈʌm/
fixed phrase
Benefit or gain from something
To get money or help because of something that happens.
Examples
- She profited from her early training.
- Some companies profited from the crisis.
turn a profit
4/tˈɚn ə pɹˈɑfɪt/
fixed phrase
Start earning more than spent
To begin making more money than you spend in a business or project.
Examples
- It took the startup two years to turn a profit.
- The new café finally turned a profit last month.