PROFIT

profit, gain

(noun) the advantageous quality of being beneficial

profit, turn a profit

(verb) make a profit; gain money or materially; “The company has not profited from the merger”

profit, gain, benefit

(verb) derive a benefit from; “She profited from his vast experience”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

profit (countable and uncountable, plural profits)

(accounting, economics) Total income or cash flow minus expenditures. The money or other benefit a non-governmental organization or individual receives in exchange for products and services sold at an advertised price.

(dated, literary) Benefit, positive result obtained.

(legal) In property law, a nonpossessory interest in land whereby a party is entitled to enter the land of another for the purpose of taking the soil or the substance of the soil (coal, oil, minerals, and in some jurisdictions timber and game).

Usage notes

Regarding the income sense, when the difference is negative the term loss is correct. Negative profit does appear in microeconomics.

Profit by a government agency is called a surplus.

Synonyms

• gain

Antonyms

• loss

Verb

profit (third-person singular simple present profits, present participle profiting, simple past and past participle profited)

(transitive) To benefit (somebody), be of use to (somebody).

(intransitive, construed with from) To benefit, gain.

(intransitive, construed with from) To take advantage of, exploit, use.

Anagrams

• forpit

Source: Wiktionary

Pro"fit, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. profectus advance, progress, profit, fr. profectum. See Proficient.]

1. Acquisition beyond expenditure; excess of value received for producing, keeping, or selling, over cost; hence, pecuniary gain in any transaction or occupation; emolument; as, a profit on the sale of goods. Let no man anticipate uncertain profits. Rambler.

2. Accession of good; valuable results; useful consequences; benefit; avail; gain; as, an office of profit, This I speak for your own profit. 1 Cor. vii. 35. If you dare do yourself a profit and a right. Shak.

Syn.

– Benefit; avail; service; improvement; advancement; gain; emolument.

Prof"it, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Profited; p. pr. & vb. n. Profiting.] Etym: [F. profiter. See Profit, n.]

Definition: To be of service to; to be good to; to help on; to benefit; to advantage; to avail; to aid; as, truth profits all men. The word preached did not profit them. Heb. iv. 2. It is a great means of profiting yourself, to copy diligently excellent pieces and beautiful designs. Dryden.

Prof"it, v. i.

1. To gain advantage; to make improvement; to improve; to gain; to advance. I profit not by thy talk. Shak.

2. To be of use or advantage; to do or bring good. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. Prov. xi. 4.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition