adj · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ʌnˈpɹɑf.ɪ.təbl̩/
Received-Pronunciation:/ʌnˈpɹɒf.ɪ.təbl̩/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AH0 N P R AA1 F IH0 T AH0 B AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Not making a profit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Being a professional poet is a nice job, albeit unprofitable.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: improfitable
Antonyms: profitable
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person or thing that fails to make a profit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
producing little or no profit or gain
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
deposits abandoned by mining companies as unprofitable
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: profitable
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Germanic *un- Proto-West Germanic *un- Old English un- Middle English un- English un- English profitable English unprofitable From un- + profitable.
Across languages
Translations
40 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
неизгоден
(neizgoden)
— not making a profit
Bulgarian:
нерентабилен
(nerentabilen)
— not making a profit
Danish:
urentabel
— not making a profit
Finnish:
tuottamaton
— not making a profit
Finnish:
kannattamaton
— not making a profit
Georgian:
წამგებიანი
(c̣amgebiani)
— not making a profit
Georgian:
არამომგებიანი
(aramomgebiani)
— not making a profit
Georgian:
არაშემოსავლიანი
(arašemosavliani)
— not making a profit
Georgian:
არარენტაბელური
(ararenṭabeluri)
— not making a profit
Gothic:
𐌰𐌺𐍂𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐍃
(akranalaus)
— not making a profit
Greek:
ασύμφορος
(asýmforos)
— not making a profit
Greek:
αντιοικονομικός
(antioikonomikós)
— not making a profit
Greek:
μη επικερδής
(mi epikerdís)
— not making a profit
Ancient Greek:
ἀνωφελής
(anōphelḗs)
— not making a profit
Ancient Greek:
ἄκαρπος
(ákarpos)
— not making a profit
Hindi:
लाभहीन
(lābhhīn)
— not making a profit
Irish:
neamhbhrabúsach
— not making a profit
Irish:
neamhshochrach
— not making a profit
Lithuanian:
nuostolingas
— not making a profit
Māori:
huakore
— not making a profit
Norwegian Bokmål:
ulønnsom
— not making a profit
Polish:
niedochodowy
— not making a profit
Polish:
nieintratny
— not making a profit
Polish:
nieopłacalny
— not making a profit
Polish:
nierentowny
— not making a profit
Polish:
niezyskowny
— not making a profit
Romanian:
dezavantajos
— not making a profit
Romanian:
nefructuos
— not making a profit
Romanian:
inutil
— not making a profit
Russian:
беспри́быльный
(bespríbylʹnyj)
— not making a profit
Russian:
нерента́бельный
(nerentábelʹnyj)
— not making a profit
Russian:
невы́годный
(nevýgodnyj)
— not making a profit
Sikkimese:
གྱོང
(gyong)
— not making a profit
Spanish:
desaventajado
— not making a profit
Spanish:
deficitario
— not making a profit
Ottoman Turkish:
كارسز
(kârsız)
— not making a profit
Ukrainian:
неприбутко́вий
(neprybutkóvyj)
— not making a profit
Ukrainian:
безприбутко́вий
(bezprybutkóvyj)
— not making a profit
Ukrainian:
нерента́бельний
(nerentábelʹnyj)
— not making a profit
Ukrainian:
неви́гідний
(nevýhidnyj)
— not making a profit