profitable

the word 'profitable' is a late middle english formation, built upon the older noun 'profit'. the root 'profit' originates from the latin 'profectus', the past participle of 'proficere', meaning 'to make progress, advance, or be of use'. this latin verb itself is a compound of 'pro-' (forward) and 'facere' (to make). the suffix '-able', of latin origin via old french, was attached to create an adjective meaning 'capable of yielding progress or advance'. over time, as 'profit' specialized in the financial sense of monetary gain, 'profitable' evolved to primarily describe ventures that generate financial return, while retaining a secondary, more general sense of being advantageous or beneficial.