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

Trump Media & Technology Group is in talks to buy most of Bakkt, an unprofitable crypto trading platform, according to The Financial Times.

From New York Times

While gold remains a valuable commodity, rising mining costs - exacerbated by electricity disruptions and deeper deposits - have made the vast majority of mines unprofitable, according to the Minerals Council of South Africa, an industry body.

From BBC

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

Related Words

• fruitless
• futile
• idle
• useless