for-profit

adjective

for-prof·​it ˈfȯr-ˈprä-fət How to pronounce for-profit (audio)
: established, maintained, or conducted for the purpose of making a profit
for-profit businesses

Examples of for-profit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Under Florida law, charter schools can only be operated by nonprofit organizations or public entities, not by for-profit companies. — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 That would be between 25 and 50 times more payload capacity than competing stratospheric platforms like high-flying drones, according to Helena, a US nonprofit organization with a for-profit investment arm that has invested in Sceye. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 According to the lawsuit, records showed that HailgateA2 is a Michigan for-profit limited liability company founded by Klein in 2023. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Todd Boehly, the billionaire chairman of private equity firm Eldridge Industries, acquired the Golden Globes in 2023, dissolved the nonprofit HFPA and converted the awards show into a for-profit enterprise. — Stacy Perman, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for for-profit

Word History

First Known Use

1939, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of for-profit was in 1939

Rhymes for for-profit

See All Rhymes for for-profit

Browse Nearby Words

for print
for-profit
for (quite) some time
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“For-profit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for-profit. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

for-profit

adjective
for-prof·​it
ˈfȯr-ˈpräf-ət
: existing or carried on for the purpose of making a profit
for-profit business
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