lucrative
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lucrative
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English lucratif, from Middle French, from Latin lucrātīvus “gainful,” from lucrāt(us) “profited” (past participle of lucrārī “to make a profit, gain by economy”; see lucre) + -īvus -ive
Explanation
Use lucrative to refer to a business or investment that makes money. While your parents might want you to pursue a lucrative career, you're committed to your plan of becoming a professional mime. This adjective is from the Latin word lucrum, meaning "profit." In Latin, lucrum also meant "greed," a negative sense preserved in the English phrase filthy lucre, or "shameful profit or gain." But the word lucrative doesn't carry a similar sense of shame — if your lawn-mowing job proves lucrative over the summer, you might be able to buy yourself a used car.
Vocabulary lists containing lucrative
Grade 10, List 2
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Hidden Figures
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Fast Food Nation
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last year, Michael Johnson's inaugural Grand Slam Track league attempted to maintain focus on the sport following Paris 2024 while offering lucrative prize money, but ended after encountering serious financial issues.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
But its duration locked schools in while rivals renegotiated shorter, more lucrative deals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Tempus AI could capture a lucrative slice of Moderna and Merck’s personalized cancer therapy business, with Personalis at the center of the bet.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026
In fact, the incentive is to keep pushing forward no matter consequence, in the hopes of dominating the market with the most powerful AI thing, meaning the most lucrative as well.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
That health kick of hers made the school take the good stuff from the vending machines and made my business very lucrative.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
