Dictionary

profitable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈpɹɑ.fɪ.ɾə.bl̩/ t-flapping
• /ˈpɹɒf.ɪ.tə.bl̩/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈpɹɑ.fɪ.tə.bl̩/ (General-American)

Etymology

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

Meanings

1. Producing a profit.
   • The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content", or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing"[…]and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention. 2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:
   • California state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson told The Wall Street Journal last month when the legislation passed that “one-fourth of California’s publicly traded companies still do not have a single woman on their board, despite numerous independent studies that show companies with women on their board are more profitable and productive.” 2018 September 30, Julia Carpenter and Jackie Wattles, “California has a new law: No more all-male boards”, in CNN Business:
   • Profitable operation is being made possible by the widespread introduction of capacious diesel railcars, which for their comfort and speed are very popular with the travelling public. 1953 April, “Reviving U.S.A. Passenger Traffic”, in Railway Magazine, page 218:
2. Beneficial, serviceable, of use.
   • It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish. 1953, Richmond Lattimore, Aeschylus, “Prometheus Bound”, in Greek Tragedies:
   • Great Men, taken up in any way, are profitable company. 1840 May 5, Thomas Carlyle, “Lecture I. The Hero as Divinity. Odin. Paganism: Scandinavian Mythology.”, in On Heroes, Hero-Worship and The Heroic in History, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1840, →OCLC, page 2:
   • I wylbe ferme and ſtabyll And to yow ſeruyceabyll And also prophytabyll Yf ye be agreabyll My propyr Beſſe To turne a gayne to me c. 1521, John Skelton, Speke Parott:

Forms

Antonyms

unprofitable

Deriveds

ramen profitable · profitably · profitability · improfitable · unprofitable · profitableness · hyperprofitable · nonprofitable · subprofitable · disprofitable · superprofitable

Synonyms

fat · beneficial · lucrative

Translations (92)

hi लाभदायक (producing profit) · de rentabel (producing profit) · la lucrificus (producing profit) · hu megtérülő (producing profit) · ga airgeadúil (producing profit) · sa सफल (producing profit) · mk доходовен (producing profit) · mk доходен (producing profit) · cmn 有利可圖 /有利可图 (producing profit) · ka სარფიანი (producing profit) · sh unosan (producing profit) · ja 利益になる (producing profit) · pt lucrativo (producing profit) · de gewinnbringend (producing profit) · gl rendible (producing profit) · fr rentable (producing profit) · ru при́быльный (producing profit) · da fortjenstgivende (producing profit) · hu kifizetődő (producing profit) · hi लाभप्रद (producing profit) · sv vinstgivande (producing profit) · de profitabel (producing profit) · de einträglich (producing profit) · nn lønnsam (producing profit) · ru вы́годный (producing profit) · uk прибутко́вий (producing profit) · tr kârlı (producing profit) · eo profitodona (producing profit) · ka შემოსავლიანი (producing profit) · es rentable (producing profit) · fi kannattava (producing profit) · uk дохі́дний (producing profit) · da rentabel (producing profit) · got 𐌱𐍂𐌿𐌺𐍃 (producing profit) · fi tuottava (producing profit) · grc ὀνήσιμος (producing profit) · pl dochodowy (producing profit) · ka მომგებიანი (producing profit) · be кары́сны (producing profit) · la lucrōsus (producing profit) · hu jövedelmező (producing profit) · sv lönsam (producing profit) · cmn 有益 (producing profit) · uk ви́гідний (producing profit) · hu profitábilis (producing profit) · hu nyereséges (producing profit) · hu hasznot hajtó (producing profit) · it fruttifero (producing profit) · az qazanclı (producing profit) · ca rendible (producing profit) · be рэнта́бельны (producing profit) · ast rentable (producing profit) · hi लाभदायी (producing profit) · es provechoso (producing profit) · eo profitebla (producing profit) · fr fructueux (producing profit) · fr profitable (producing profit) · ka რენტაბელური (producing profit) · be дахо́дны (producing profit) · it remunerativo (producing profit) · ko 유익하다 (producing profit) · ko 유리하다 (producing profit) · tr kazançlı (producing profit) · fr lucratif (producing profit) · uk рента́бельний (producing profit) · sh isplativ (producing profit) · ja 有益な (producing profit) · hi लाभकारी (producing profit) · nn lønsam (producing profit) · ro fructuos (producing profit) · ca profitós (producing profit) · cmn 可獲利的 /可获利的 (producing profit) · nl winstgevend (producing profit) · be вы́гадны (producing profit) · fi tuottoisa (producing profit) · nb lønnsom (producing profit) · de lukrativ (producing profit) · bg дохо́ден (producing profit) · be прыбытко́вы (producing profit) · et kasumlik (producing profit) · hi लाभकारक (producing profit) · ro profitabil (producing profit) · pl korzystny (producing profit) · hu rentábilis (producing profit) · ru дохо́дный (producing profit) · ro lucrativ (producing profit) · ru рента́бельный (producing profit) · az gəlirli (producing profit) · mi whaihua (producing profit) · it redditizio (producing profit) · cs výhodný (producing profit) · cs ziskový (producing profit)