as in lucrative
yielding a profit
graduated from school and went looking for gainful employment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gainful
At her age, being prickly was neither enchanting nor gainful.
—
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The gainful employment rule is intended to help students avoid low-value programs that leave them with too much debt and minimal earning potential.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were gainful, unfailing and unflagging.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Or workers could simply have given up on Martinsville and moved elsewhere in search of gainful employment.
—Gordon H. Hanson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gainful
Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
The gainful employment rule is intended to help students avoid low-value programs that leave them with too much debt and minimal earning potential.
—Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 2 June 2025
Yesterday’s pangrams were gainful, unfailing and unflagging.
—Julia Jacobs, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Or workers could simply have given up on Martinsville and moved elsewhere in search of gainful employment.
—Gordon H. Hanson, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
See All Example Sentences for gainful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gainful
Adjective
-
The former head of the NYPD School Safety division attempted to steer lucrative city contracts to a Florida businessman in exchange for bribes that included cash payments, luxury hotel stays and Broadway tickets, federal officials said Thursday.—
Cayla Bamberger,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
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The purchase, which is expected to close in the middle of 2026, aims to make Capital One more competitive in the lucrative corporate card market.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Patients are often misdiagnosed or untreated because rT3 testing and therapies are not profitable.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Congratulations, this film is immensely profitable.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a January memo about the new policy, USCIS argues more thorough reviews are necessary to root out fraud in the system, and that any delays are worthwhile to ensure national security.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
12 Feb. 2026
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Most lenders say if a borrower can save 75 basis points, then the cost of the refinance is worthwhile.—
Diana Olick,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gainful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gainful. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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