profiteer

noun

prof·​i·​teer ˌprä-fə-ˈtir 

: one who makes what is considered an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency

profiteer intransitive verb

Examples of profiteer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For a quarter century we have been misled by a chorus of neocon war hawks, defense industry profiteers, think tank courtiers and media opportunists. —Jason Fields, Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2024

Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes. —Omar Gallaga, Austin American-Statesman, 6 Mar. 2024

The metaverse is understood by the world’s profiteers to be a frontier created specifically to be colonized; its purpose is wealth extraction. —Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2022

The contractor, Zachary Young, was included in a November 2021 segment on war profiteers charging high prices to assist people in fleeing Afghanistan after the U.S. exited. —Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1912, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

profiteer

noun

prof·​i·​teer ˌpräf-ə-ˈti(ə)r 

: a person who makes an unfair profit especially on essential goods during an emergency

profiteer verb

Legal Definition

profiteer

noun

prof·​i·​teer ˌprä-fə-ˈtir 

: one who makes an unreasonable profit especially on the sale of essential goods during times of emergency (as during wartime)

profiteer intransitive verb