gainful
/'geinful/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Providing gain or profit; lucrative: Describes an activity, employment, or situation that yields financial or material benefit.
- Remunerative; paid: Describes work or employment for which one receives payment.
Usage
The adjective "gainful" is used to describe activities, occupations, or pursuits that result in a positive financial return or other valuable advantages. It is a formal term often used in contexts like employment, business, and economics. It typically precedes the noun it modifies.
Examples
- She was eager to find gainful employment after graduating.
- He turned his hobby into a gainful business venture.
- The investment proved to be highly gainful for the company.
- They were involved in various gainful activities to support the community project.
Advanced Usage
- "gainfully employed": A common phrase meaning having a job that provides payment or profit.
- All members of the household are now gainfully employed.
- Used in legal or official contexts to distinguish between paid work and other activities (e.g., volunteer work, leisure).
- The court considered whether the activity was a gainful occupation.
Variants and Related Words
- Gainfully (adverb): In a way that yields gain or profit.
- He has been gainfully occupied with the new contract.
- Gainfulness (noun): The quality of being gainful. (Less common)
- The gainfulness of the enterprise was evident in its first year.
Synonyms
- Profitable: Yielding profit or financial gain.
- Lucrative: Producing a great deal of profit.
- Remunerative: Financially rewarding; providing payment.
- Productive: Achieving or producing a significant amount or result, often with a financial implication.
- Advantageous: Involving or creating favorable circumstances that could lead to gain.
Antonyms
- Unprofitable: Not yielding profit or financial gain.
- Loss-making: Resulting in a financial loss.
- Unremunerative: Not providing payment or financial reward.
Notes
- "Gainful" is a formal adjective. In everyday conversation, words like "profitable" or "paid" (for employment) are more common.
- It is important to distinguish "gainful" from simply "beneficial." While "beneficial" can refer to any type of advantage, "gainful" strongly implies a monetary or material benefit.