profit motive

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   The wish to make money, seen as the reason why people start or run businesses.

   Grammar: Used with 'the': the profit motive. It rarely takes a plural, and it takes a singular verb.

   Patterns

   • the profit motive behind something
   • be driven by the profit motive

   The profit motive is what pushes most companies to expand into new markets.

   Critics say the profit motive can lead hospitals to put money before patients.

   Without the profit motive, few people would risk their savings on a new business.

2. 2nounsingulartechnical

   The general principle that businesses should aim to earn as much money as possible.

   Grammar: Often used in discussions of economics or ethics, without 'the' in headlines and titles.

   Patterns

   • a belief in the profit motive
   • the role of the profit motive in something

   The textbook explains how the profit motive shapes prices in a free market.

   Debate over the profit motive in health care has continued for decades.

Common combinations

be driven by the profit motive

News organizations that are driven by the profit motive may chase stories that attract the most clicks.

the profit motive behind something

There is an obvious profit motive behind the sudden interest in cheap electric cars.

the profit motive in an industry

The profit motive in education is a sensitive topic in many countries.

rely on the profit motive

Some governments rely on the profit motive to improve public services.

Synonyms and how they differ

commercial incentive

This is broader and more neutral; it can include rewards other than money, while 'profit motive' points specifically at profit.

greed

This is strongly disapproving and describes a personal desire for more money than you need, not an economic principle.

Word family

profit noun

The money a business keeps after costs are paid.

profitable adjective

Making a profit; successful in financial terms.

profitably adverb

In a way that makes a profit.

Commonly confused: profit motive or prophet?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “profit motive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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