Financial gains obtained from business activities after deducting expenses; money earned above costs.
From Latin 'profectus' meaning 'progress, advancement', from 'proficere' meaning 'to make progress'. The commercial sense developed in medieval times as trade expanded and the concept of monetary gain beyond mere survival became important.
The connection between 'profit' and 'progress' in its Latin root reveals how commerce was originally viewed as advancement for society. Modern debates about profit versus purpose echo this ancient tension between individual gain and collective progress.
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