What does profiteered mean?
Profiteered is the past tense of profiteer, a verb meaning to make an excessive or unfairly large profit. Its use usually carries a strongly negative implication, suggesting that someone has taken advantage of a crisis, scarcity, or the hardship of others to make money. In this sense, profiteering is more than ordinary profitable business: it implies disproportionate or morally questionable gain. The word is often used in news reports about war, natural disasters, pandemics, and shortages, particularly when businesses sell essential goods at inflated prices. It can also describe individuals or organizations that have improperly benefited from a difficult situation. The related noun profiteer refers to a person who does this, while profiteering names the activity itself.
verbTo make an excessive or unfairly large profit, especially by taking advantage of others or exploiting a difficult situation.
- To make an excessive or unfairly large profit, especially by exploiting a crisis, scarcity, or other people's hardship.
"The company was accused of profiteering from the sale of essential goods during the crisis."
"Several retailers profiteered from the shortage by selling essential goods at exorbitant prices."
"The investigation found that the officials had profiteered from public funds."
Profiteering turns a shortage or crisis into someone else’s unexpected windfall.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does profiteered come from?
The word comes from the noun profit, which entered English from Latin profectus, meaning “gain” or “advance,” and ultimately from proficiere, “to make progress.” The verb profiteer developed in the 19th century in the sense of making a profit and later came to suggest making an excessive or unfair profit. The modern pejorative sense is especially associated with wartime and emergency profiteering.
Related word forms
How profiteered is actually used
The word generally has a negative connotation: it implies that the profit was excessive, unfair, or obtained by exploiting others. It is especially common in reporting on war, emergencies, shortages, and essential goods.