modest profit of

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "modest profit of" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing financial outcomes, particularly to describe a small or reasonable amount of profit made from a business venture or investment. Example: "After reviewing the quarterly reports, we were pleased to see a modest profit of $5,000 from our latest product launch."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

Last year, it made a modest profit of $42 million.

The New York Times

Exxon Mobil, where refining stripped $189 million from fourth-quarter profit, actually turned a modest profit of $37 million.

The New York Times

Citigroup made a modest profit of $101m in its most recent accounts, for the quarter to September.

The Guardian - Business

The company also posted a modest profit of $4.1 million, compared with a loss of $85 million in the year-ago quarter.

The New York Times - Tech

Experienced deer hunters trained by their fathers, Mr. Watson and Mr. Kennedy were out for the challenge and modest profit of stalking this other, less handsome prey.

The New York Times - Sports

Yet Emirates could make a modest profit of €1.5 million, or $2 million, from a small surplus of permits, each representing a ton of carbon dioxide, that airlines can trade as part of the system.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

Mumsnet makes a modest profit on turnover of around £6m, with most revenue coming from advertising.

The Guardian

By 1986 G-III was turning a modest profit on revenues of $20 million.

Forbes

Sales of The Singles, alongside a series of changes at Echo making them into an "Incubator label", enabled the company to report a "modest profit" for 2006.

Wikipedia

If made from stimulus funds, taxpayers could get back all their money plus a modest profit, and thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of jobs could be saved.

Forbes

And on Monday, members of the United Steelworkers of America ratified a contract with Goodyear, the nation's largest tire maker, that freezes wages for all three years of the contract, although with some modest profit sharing and cost-of-living adjustments.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing financial performance, use "modest profit of" to convey that the profit earned was reasonable but not substantial. This is useful to set expectations and avoid overstating success.

Common error

Avoid using "modest profit of" when the actual profit is significantly large. 'Modest' implies a small or moderate amount, so using it for substantial profits can be misleading and undermine credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "modest profit of" functions as a descriptive element within a sentence, specifically quantifying the amount of profit achieved. According to Ludwig, this phrase is considered grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Formal & Business

23%

Science

9%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "modest profit of" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to describe a financial outcome where the profit is positive but not substantial. According to Ludwig, it's frequently found in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts. When using this phrase, ensure that the actual profit aligns with the connotation of 'modest', implying a reasonable but not exceptionally high amount. Avoid using it for significant profits to maintain accuracy and credibility. This phrase appropriately sets expectations and offers a realistic assessment of financial performance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Small profit margin

Focuses on the profit margin, highlighting the small percentage of revenue gained.

Marginal earnings

Emphasizes that the earnings are barely sufficient or just above the break-even point.

Slight financial gain

Replaces "profit" with a broader term, "financial gain", and uses "slight" to convey the small amount.

Nominal profit

Uses "nominal" to indicate that the profit is small in proportion to the effort or investment.

Reasonable profit level

Shifts focus to the acceptability of the profit.

Limited profitability

Highlights the restricted nature of the profitability.

Modest financial return

Replaces "profit" with "financial return", broadening the concept to include various forms of financial gain.

Slightly profitable outcome

Focuses on the outcome of being profitable, but only by a small amount.

Small surplus

Emphasizes exceeding requirements, especially of supply over demand.

Adequate profit

Highlights the sufficiency of the profit earned.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "modest profit of"?

You can use phrases such as "small profit of", "marginal earnings", or "slight financial gain" depending on the specific context.

Is it appropriate to use "modest profit of" in a formal business report?

Yes, using "modest profit of" is perfectly acceptable in formal business reports to accurately describe the financial outcome when the profit is not substantial. It provides a clear and realistic assessment of the company's performance.

What does "modest profit of" imply about the financial performance?

Using "modest profit of" suggests that the profit, although positive, is not exceptionally high and might reflect challenges in the market, conservative financial strategies, or other limiting factors.

Can "modest profit of" be used for non-profit organizations?

While "profit" typically refers to for-profit entities, you can use "modest surplus of" in the context of non-profit organizations to indicate that the organization's revenue slightly exceeded its expenses.