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Nonprofit

adj. kind, hopeful professional

What it means

Organized to pursue a mission without distributing operating profit to private owners.

Reach for it when describing an organization by its governing purpose and treatment of surplus, not by an assumption that it earns no revenue

The nonprofit clinic reinvests every surplus in mobile dental care.

Words to choose between 7

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
everyday
warm
professional
formal

  • everyday

    community-based

    Fits when local ownership and local needs shape the work

    Careful A community-based group may be informal or commercial rather than nonprofit.

  • warm

    charitable

    Fits when relief, public benefit, or voluntary giving is central to the mission

    Careful Not every nonprofit is a charity, and charitable status carries specific legal meaning.

  • warm

    voluntary

    Fits when unpaid participation or freely given service is what deserves emphasis

    Careful Nonprofits commonly employ paid staff, and voluntary does not describe their ownership structure.

  • professional

    mission-driven

    Fits when purpose rather than profit clearly guides priorities

    Careful For-profit businesses can be mission-driven, so this phrase does not identify legal structure.

  • professional

    public-benefit

    Fits when the organization is structured to serve a defined social good

    Careful Public-benefit forms vary by jurisdiction and can include entities that are not nonprofits.

  • formal

    not-for-profit

    Fits when the jurisdiction or organization itself uses this equivalent legal label

    Careful Local law may distinguish the labels, so do not swap them in formal documents without checking.

  • formal

    tax-exempt

    Fits when approved exemption from specified taxes is the relevant fact

    Careful Tax-exempt status is granted under law and cannot be inferred from nonprofit organization alone.

Opposites 3

  • for-profit
  • commercial
  • privately profit-distributing

Common phrases 3

  • nonprofit organization

    The nonprofit organization publishes its accounts and impact measures each year.

  • nonprofit sector

    She built her career in the nonprofit sector after leaving public service.

  • nonprofit status

    The association applied for nonprofit status only after adopting new bylaws.

Usage notes

Keep in mind

Legal and tax consequences of 'nonprofit,' 'not-for-profit,' and 'tax-exempt' vary by jurisdiction.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Dvortygirl, American accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Updated