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Definition of profit - 6 dictionary results

prof⋅it

  [prof-it]
Use profit in a Sentence
–noun
1. Often, profits.
a. pecuniary gain resulting from the employment of capital in any transaction. Compare gross profit, net profit.
b. the ratio of such pecuniary gain to the amount of capital invested.
c. returns, proceeds, or revenue, as from property or investments.
2. the monetary surplus left to a producer or employer after deducting wages, rent, cost of raw materials, etc.: The company works on a small margin of profit.
3. advantage; benefit; gain.
–verb (used without object)
4. to gain an advantage or benefit: He profited greatly from his schooling.
5. to make a profit.
6. to take advantage: to profit from the weaknesses of others.
7. to be of service or benefit.
8. to make progress.
–verb (used with object)
9. to be of advantage or profit to: Nothing profits one so much as a sound education.
Origin:
1250–1300; (n.) ME < MF < L prōfectus progress, profit, equiv. to prō- pro- 1 + -fec-, comb. form of facere to make, do 1 + -tus suffix of v. action; (v.) ME profiten, deriv. of the n.

Related forms:
prof⋅it⋅er, noun
prof⋅it⋅less, adjective
prof⋅it⋅less⋅ly, adverb
prof⋅it⋅less⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. return. 2. net income. 3. good, welfare, advancement, improvement. See advantage. 4, 9. advance, improve.

Antonyms:
1. loss.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To profit
prof·it   (prŏf'ĭt)   
n.  

  1. An advantageous gain or return; benefit.

  2. The return received on a business undertaking after all operating expenses have been met.

    1. The return received on an investment after all charges have been paid. Often used in the plural.

    2. The rate of increase in the net worth of a business enterprise in a given accounting period.

    3. Income received from investments or property.

    4. The amount received for a commodity or service in excess of the original cost.

v.   prof·it·ed, prof·it·ing, prof·its

v.   intr.

  1. To make a gain or profit.

  2. To derive advantage; benefit: profiting from the other team's mistakes. See Synonyms at benefit.

v.   tr.
To be beneficial to.

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin prōfectus, from past participle of prōficere, make progress, to profit : prō-, forward; see pro-1 + facere, to make; see dhē- in Indo-European roots.]
prof'it·less adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

profit  (n.)
c.1315, from O.Fr. prufit (c.1140), from L. profectus "profit, progress," prop. pp. of proficere (see proficiency). As the opposite of loss, it replaced O.E. gewinn. The verb is attested from 1303, from O.Fr. prufiter, from the noun. Profiteer first recorded 1797 as a verb, but dormant until revived in World War I; 1912 as a noun. Profitable is from c.1325, "yielding benefit, useful; " in specific sense of "money-making," it is attested from 1758.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Profit

The same as net income: total earnings less expenses.

Investopedia Commentary

In other words, profit is the money a business makes after accounting for all the expenses. Profit is the goal of every company.

Related Links

Understanding The Income Statement
Introduction to Fundamental Analysis
The Bottom Line On Margins

See also: Economic Profit, Expenses, Net Income, Profit Margin, Profit Sharing Plan

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

profit

See net income.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: prof·it
Function: noun
1 : gain in excess of expenditures: as a : the excess of the selling price of goods over their cost b : net income from a business, investment, or capital appreciation —compare EARNINGS, LOSS
2 : a benefit or advantage from the use of property —see also MESNE PROFITS, PROFIT A PRENDRE —compare EASEMENT, RIGHT OF WAY, SERVITUDE
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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