unprofitable

[ uhn-prof-i-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. being without profit; not showing or turning a profit:

   a series of unprofitable ventures.

2. pointless or futile:

   an unprofitable three years in a routine job.

unprofitable

/ ʌnˈprɒfɪtəbəl /

adjective

1. not making a profit
2. not fruitful or beneficial

Derived Forms

• unˈprofitably, adverb
• unˌprofitaˈbility, noun

Other Words From

• un·profit·a·ble·ness un·profit·a·bili·ty noun
• un·profit·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unprofitable¹

1275–1325; Middle English. See un- ¹, profitable

Example Sentences

That would hurt Tesla’s unprofitable rivals that rely more on the tax credits to lure customers.

From Los Angeles Times

Many of the locations to be shuttered are too old to be remodeled or are in unprofitable areas, Dunn said.

From Los Angeles Times

The trend is a national one: More than 200 hospitals across the country have closed labor and delivery units since 2011, often because they are unprofitable and harder to staff than other hospital services.

From New York Times

Critics say venturing into movies, music and other entertainment can be unprofitable.

From Seattle Times

Lack of a large scale industry means half of India's population still depends on agriculture for their livelihoods - which is increasingly becoming unprofitable.

From BBC

Related Words

• fruitless
• futile
• idle
• useless