Meaning & use
lucrative
Last updated
UK/ˈluːkrətɪv/
US/ˈluːkrətɪv/
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Bringing in a lot of money, so that doing it is very worthwhile financially.
Grammar: Usually before a noun, and can take more or most: a more lucrative offer.
Patterns
- a lucrative business
- a lucrative deal
She left teaching for a more lucrative job in finance.
The company signed a lucrative contract with the airline.
Selling handmade furniture online turned out to be lucrative.
Word forms
| comparative | more lucrative |
|---|---|
| superlative | most lucrative |
Common combinations
- lucrative contract
- The band signed a lucrative contract with a record label.
- lucrative career
- He had a lucrative career in law.
- highly lucrative
- Online advertising can be highly lucrative.
- lucrative market
- The company entered the lucrative market for electric cars.
Synonyms and how they differ
- profitable
- Is the plain, neutral word for making a profit, while lucrative stresses large earnings for the person involved.
- well-paid
- Describes only jobs or work, not deals or businesses.
- remunerative
- Is a formal word that means the same but is much less common.
Opposites
Word family
- lucre noun
- money, usually seen as something dishonorable (filthy lucre)
- lucratively adverb
- in a way that earns a lot of money
Commonly confused: lucrative or ludicrous?
lucrative vs ludicrous
Ludicrous means ridiculous or absurd; it has nothing to do with money.
Practice
Which phrase best fits the word lucrative?
Choose one answer.
Lucrative describes activities or deals that earn a lot of money. Friendships, sunsets and apologies are not sources of income.
Make it your own
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