not profitable

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "not profitable" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when describing a business, investment, or project that does not generate a profit. For example, "The new product line has proven to be not profitable in the first quarter." Alternative expressions include "unprofitable" and "losing money."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Private companies need to make profits, and social housing is not profitable in the short term.

Vice

Four motorways profited from the equalisation system defined above, which implies that they are not profitable.

European Transport Research Review

The site is not profitable.

The New York Times

United is not profitable yet.

The New York Times

"It's just not profitable".

The New York Times

It was fun, but not profitable.

The New York Times

A.I.G. was not profitable in 2009.

The New York Times

The transactions were not profitable to RBC".

The New York Times

So far, the venture is not profitable.

The New York Times

"The plant is not profitable at present.

The Guardian

Microsoft's Xbox division is not profitable.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Pair the phrase with time qualifiers like 'at present' or 'yet' to indicate a potential for future growth, a pattern seen frequently in TechCrunch and NYT examples.

Common error

Do not confuse "not profitable" with 'non-profit'. While "not profitable" describes a financial state where expenses exceed revenue, 'non-profit' refers to a legal tax status of an organization. A non-profit can actually be profitable in a fiscal sense, though that surplus must be reinvested.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "not profitable" functions as a negative adjective phrase, typically acting as a subject complement following a linking verb (e.g., 'the venture is "not profitable"'). According to Ludwig AI, it is frequently used to provide a direct assessment of economic viability.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Social Media

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "not profitable" is a robust and universally accepted phrase used to denote the lack of financial gain. Ludwig AI highlights its frequent appearance in both tech-centric news and rigorous scientific research, making it a versatile tool for any writer. Whether you are analyzing a startup's growth in TechCrunch or discussing agricultural efficiency in ScienceDirect, the phrase remains grammatically sound and contextually appropriate. To improve your writing flow, consider alternating it with its one-word synonym ""unprofitable"", but stick with the negative phrase when you want to emphasize the negation itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

unprofitable

More concise and formally preferred in business reporting

loss-making

Emphasizes the active incurrence of losses rather than just a lack of gain

money-losing

A more informal or descriptive way to say it consumes capital

in the red

A common idiomatic expression for having more debt or expenses than income

non-remunerative

More technical and formal, often used in legal or academic contexts

financially unviable

Suggests that the project cannot survive long-term due to financial reasons

net-negative

A mathematical or accounting term indicating that the bottom line is below zero

non-lucrative

Suggests that while it might not lose money, it doesn't offer high rewards

deficit-running

Specific to organizations or government sectors operating at a deficit

cost-inefficient

Focuses on the poor ratio of output to input rather than net income

FAQs

What is the difference between "not profitable" and "unprofitable"?

There is no major semantic difference. However, ""unprofitable"" is more concise and frequently used in formal financial literature, while "not profitable" is common in general news and spoken English.

What can I say instead of "not profitable"?

Depending on the tone, you can use "loss-making" for a more descriptive approach, "in the red" for an idiomatic touch, or "non-remunerative" for academic contexts.

Is it correct to say "not profitable yet"?

Yes, adding 'yet' is standard for startups or new ventures. Ludwig examples from TechCrunch show this is a common way to describe companies with high growth but high burn rates.

Can I use "not profitable" to describe a person?

While technically possible in a cold economic sense, it is usually better to use "not productive" or "underperforming" to avoid reducing a human to a financial metric.