profit

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

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Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Noun 1.3.1 Usage notes 1.3.2 Synonyms 1.3.3 Antonyms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 Verb 1.4.1 Translations 1.5 Derived terms 1.6 Related terms 1.7 External links 2 French 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Pronunciation 2.3 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English profit < Old French profit (French: profit). < Latin profectus (“‘advance, progress, growth, increase, profit’”) < proficere (“‘to go forward, advance, make progress, be profitable or useful’”); see proficient.

[edit] Pronunciation

• prŏf'it, /ˈprɒfət/, /"prQf@t/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

  Homophones: prophet

• Rhymes: -ɒfɪt

[edit] Noun

profit (plural profits)

1. 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.
2. (law) 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).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Synonyms

• gain

[edit] Antonyms

• loss

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

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

1. (transitive) To benefit (sb), be of use to (sb).
2. (intransitive, construed with from) To benefit, gain.
3. (intransitive, construed with from) To take advantage of, exploit, use.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Derived terms

• book profit
• for-profit
• nonprofit
• not-for-profit
• paper profit
• profit from
• profitable
• profitably
• profiteer
• profit margin
• profit sharing
• profit taking

[edit] Related terms

• proficiency
• proficient

[edit] External links

• profit in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• profit in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

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[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

From Latin profectus.

[edit] Pronunciation

•  audio^{help, file}

[edit] Noun

profit m. (plural profits)

1. profit, benefit

   Il a su tirer profit de ses connaissances.

   He managed to take advantage of his knowledge.