Lucrative
adj.capable, hopefulprofessional
What it means
Producing a notably strong financial return.
Reach for it when describing a business, contract, market, or activity whose profit is evidenced
Repairing turbine blades became a lucrative specialty for the cooperative.
Choose between these
7- playful
moneymaking
informal focus on generating income suits
not when Moneymaking can sound cynical and does not establish net profit.
- everyday
well-paid
the worker's compensation is the focus
not when Well-paid says nothing about the employer's profit.
- warm
personal or social value matters beyond money
not when Rewarding is misleading if the only established benefit is financial.
- professional
commercial
market purpose or viability is the relevant claim
not when Commercial does not mean profitable.
- professional
income exceeds costs and that fact is documented
not when Profitable can mean only a small surplus, while lucrative suggests substantial gain.
- formal
return relative to investment is measured and strong
not when High-yield may carry high risk and is too technical for ordinary work.
- formal
work provides worthwhile financial compensation
not when Remunerative is uncommon and better suited to employment than markets.
Said against
3- unprofitable
- loss-making
- costly
It naturally appears in
3- lucrative market
The growers found a lucrative market for dried apricots.
- lucrative contract
A lucrative contract funded apprenticeships for the next three years.
- highly lucrative
The licensing agreement became highly lucrative after export approval.
Where this comes from
- merriam-webster, adjective, single sense opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.