What does unprofitably mean?
Unprofitably is an adverb meaning without making a profit or at a financial loss. It describes the manner in which a business, transaction, or activity is carried out: a company may operate unprofitably while attracting customers, generating revenue, or covering certain costs, yet still fail to earn more than it spends. The word is especially common in business, economics, agriculture, and financial reporting, where it distinguishes the movement of money from the ultimate return on that money. It can also indicate that a transaction takes place at a loss, such as when goods are sold below their total cost. Although unprofitably is less common in conversation than the related adjective unprofitable, it is useful when the focus is on how an action or enterprise is being conducted. Its meaning concerns financial performance rather than the more general idea of being unsuccessful.
adverbIn a way that produces no financial profit; at a loss.
- Without making a profit; at a financial loss.
"The small retailer continued operating unprofitably while seeking a more suitable location."
"For several months, the service ran unprofitably before its subscription model improved."
"Farmers in the region sold some produce unprofably because local markets had been flooded."
A business can operate unprofitably while still paying some bills—revenue and profit are not the same thing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unprofitably come from?
Unprofitably was formed by adding the standard adverbial suffix -ly to unprofitable, a word combining the prefix un-, meaning “not,” with profitable. Profitable derives from profit, an English word that came through a Romance source and ultimately from Latin, where it was associated with proficere, meaning “to make progress” or “to advance.” The adverb thus expresses the manner of acting without profit.
How unprofitably is actually used
This is standard formal English and is especially common in business, economics, and financial reporting. It is less everyday than the adjective unprofitable.
Easily confused with unprofitably
Unprofitable is an adjective describing something that does not produce a profit, whereas unprofitably is an adverb describing the manner of doing something.