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Meaning & use

non-profit

adjective, noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌnɒnˈprɒfɪt/
US/ˌnɑːnˈprɑːfɪt/

Meanings

  1. adjectivebefore a nounbusiness

    Describing an organization that spends its income on its purpose, such as helping people, instead of sharing the money among owners.

    Grammar: Usually before a noun: a non-profit group, a non-profit hospital.

    Patterns

    • a non-profit organization
    • a non-profit group

    She works for a non-profit organization that teaches adults to read.

    The theater is non-profit, so any surplus goes back into new productions.

    Our non-profit group runs a free food pantry.

  2. nouncountableAmericaninformal

    An organization of this kind, such as a charity, a community group or a foundation.

    Grammar: Countable: a non-profit, several non-profits. This is common in American English.

    Patterns

    • work for a non-profit
    • start a non-profit

    After ten years in banking, he moved to a non-profit.

    Several local non-profits applied for the grant.

    She started a non-profit to support young carers.

Word forms

pluralnon-profits

Common combinations

non-profit organization
A non-profit organization manages the city's playgrounds.
non-profit status
The charity applied for non-profit status last year.
run a non-profit
She runs a non-profit that restores old libraries.
non-profit sector
The non-profit sector employs many part-time workers.
non-profit board
Each member of the non-profit board serves without pay.

Synonyms and how they differ

not-for-profit
Not-for-profit is the preferred British and legal-style term, and it focuses on the purpose of the organization.
charity
A charity is a registered non-profit that helps others, while a non-profit might be a sports club or a trade body that does not help the public.
voluntary
Voluntary describes work or groups that rely on volunteers, but they may still make money.

Opposites

for-profitcommercial

Word family

profit noun
money gained after costs are paid
profit verb
to gain a benefit or money
profitable adjective
making money
nonprofit adjective
an alternative one-word spelling

Commonly confused: non-profit or non-profitable?

non-profit vs non-profitable

Non-profitable means failing to make money. A non-profit organization may well make a surplus, but it spends it on its mission.

Practice

What is true of a non-profit hospital?

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