different between propitious vs profitable

English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman and Old French propicius, from Latin propitius (“favorable, well-disposed, kind”). Compare French propice, Portuguese propício and Spanish propicio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p?o??p???s/
• Hyphenation: pro?pi?tious

Adjective

propitious (comparative more propitious, superlative most propitious)

1. Favorable; benevolent.

   Synonym: favorable

   Antonym: unpropitious

2. Advantageous.

   Synonym: advantageous

3. Characteristic of a good omen.

   Synonyms: auspicious, fortunate, promising
4. (archaic) Favorably disposed towards someone.

Antonyms

• unpropitious

Translations

Related terms

• propitiate
• propitiation
• propitiously
• propitiousness

Further reading

• propitious in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• propitious in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• propitious at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

Old French profitable.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??f?t?bl?/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??f?t?bl?/
• Hyphenation: prof?it?a?ble

Adjective

profitable (comparative more profitable, superlative most profitable)

1. Producing a profit.
2. Beneficial, serviceable, of use.
   • c. 1521, John Skelton, “Speke Parott”:

     I wylbe ferme and ?tabyll
     And to yow ?eruyceabyll
     And also prophytabyll
     Yf ye be agreabyll
     My propyr Be??e
     To turne a gayne to me

   • 1953, ?Richmond Lattimore, Aeschylus, "Prometheus Bound", in Greek Tragedies

     It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish.

Synonyms

• lucrative
• beneficial

Antonyms

• unprofitable

Derived terms

Translations

French

Etymology

From profiter +? -able

Adjective

profitable (plural profitables)

1. profitable

Further reading

• “profitable” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

profiter +? -able.

Adjective

profitable m (oblique and nominative feminine singular profitable)

1. useful; usable; that one can make use of

Descendants

• ? English: profitable
• French: profitable

References

• profitable on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub