profiteering

noun

prof·​i·​teer·​ing ˌprä-fə-ˈtir-iŋ How to pronounce profiteering (audio)
: the act or activity of making an unreasonable profit on the sale of essential goods especially during times of emergency
… investigations unearthed information about industrial profiteering during the First World War …Thomas E. Ricks
The real estate culture in Florida had pushed profiteering to new levels, in large part because of its condominium economy.Paul Reyes

Examples of profiteering in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, these arrangements were not mere shakedowns; they were anchored in strategic diplomacy and geopolitical calculus, rather than vulgar profiteering. Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025 Even some Trump-friendly crypto insiders were uncomfortable with the brazen profiteering of the Trump-coin schemes. Scott Rosenberg, Axios, 22 Jan. 2025 In fact, Senator Warren and others often single out retail grocers as the primary culprit of price gouging and profiteering. Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024 Police have also linked him to online writings that address deeper cultural complaints about the dehumanizing impacts of corporate profiteering. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for profiteering

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of profiteering was in 1814

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Cite this Entry

“Profiteering.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profiteering. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.

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