profiteer

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/ˌpɹɒfɪˈtɪə(ɹ)/

noun

One who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk, a rent-seeker.

UncommonFirst used since ca. 1915Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nounprofiteer (plural profiteers)

plural profiteers

  1. derogatoryOne who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk, a rent-seeker.
verbprofiteer (third-person singular simple present profiteers, present participle profiteering, simple past and past participle profiteered)

present singular third person profiteers · participle present profiteering · participle past profiteered · past profiteered

  1. To make an unreasonable profit not justified by cost or risk.First known use since ca. 1915

Origin

From profit + -eer.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic إسْتِغْلَالِيّ, اِنْتِهَازِيّ
  • إسْتِغْلَالِيّ (ʔistiḡlāliyy)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • اِنْتِهَازِيّ (intihāziyy)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Bulgarian спекулант, спекулирам
  • спекулант (spekulant)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • спекулирам (spekuliram)to make an unreasonable profit
Chinese Mandarin 奸商
  • 奸商 (jiānshāng)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Dutch profiteur
  • profiteurone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Finnish kiskuri, rahastaa
  • kiskurione who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • rahastaato make an unreasonable profit
French profiteur, profiteuse
  • profiteurone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • profiteuseone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
German Profitmacher, Profiteur
  • Profitmacherone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • Profiteurone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Hungarian nyerészkedő, nyerészkedik
  • nyerészkedőone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • nyerészkedikto make an unreasonable profit
Irish brabachóir
  • brabachóirone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Italian profittatore
  • profittatoreone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Korean 모리배
  • 모리배 (moribae)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Latin lucripeta
  • lucripetaone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Portuguese usureiro
  • usureiroone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Russian спекуля́нт, спекуля́нтка
  • спекуля́нт (spekuljánt)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • спекуля́нтка (spekuljántka)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • торга́ш (torgáš)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • бары́га (barýga)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • бары́шник (barýšnik)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • переку́пщик (perekúpščik)one who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • наживаться (naživatʹsja)to make an unreasonable profit
Spanish especulador, especuladora
  • especuladorone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • especuladoraone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • lucrante inescrupulosoone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
Welsh proffidiwr, budrelwr
  • proffidiwrone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk
  • budrelwrone who makes an unreasonable profit not justified by their corresponding assumption of risk

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with profiteer

hereyearclearnearcareerheargearappearwearfearvolunteermirrorpremierdearbeerseverepeerearpioneerPierredeermeretiersheer
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

profiteer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/profiteer

MLA

“profiteer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/profiteer. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “profiteer,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/profiteer.

Source: profiteer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.