unprofitable

adjective

un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-bəl How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl
: not profitable : producing no gain, good, or result
an unprofitable venture
unprofitableness noun
unprofitably
ˌən-ˈprä-fə-tə-blē How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl
adverb

Examples of unprofitable in a Sentence

an unprofitable effort to find the information
Recent Examples on the Web In 2021, Twitter was unprofitable with $5 billion in revenue. Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 Here's how Lucid also remains unprofitable, having reported a loss of $2.2 billion over the first nine months of 2023 through Sept. 30. The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024 However, Fortune reports that the platform is still unprofitable after nine years. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2024 Considering this, Steam Power has eliminated unprofitable equipment and is now concentrating on aftermarket parts and services. Jim Osman, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 The retail giant has been shuttering unprofitable Sacramento-area stores since 2022, according to The Sacramento Bee’s previous reporting. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Feb. 2024 Having a 40-plus-year list of unprofitable orders to fulfill can be stressful, especially as the price of Kobe beef and labor continues to rise. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024 It’s been an unprofitable venture, but it’s generated significant traffic and paid off by benefitting his day job. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2023 Some experts even warn that many smaller U.S. companies with unprofitable business models were kept alive during the era of near zero interest rates that came after the Global Financial Crisis, meaning that a sizable number of dead-on-their-feet firms are about to go bust. Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unprofitable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprofitable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near unprofitable

Cite this Entry

“Unprofitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprofitable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

unprofitable

adjective
un·​prof·​it·​able ˌən-ˈpräf-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce unprofitable (audio)
-ˈpräf-tə-bəl,
ˈən-
: not profitable
unprofitably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on unprofitable

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