gainfuladj.
/ˈɡeɪnfʊl/ 1.
a. Productive of gain or profit; profitable, advantageous. Now rare except as in 1b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > [adjective]
fremefulc1000
i-duȝea1250
hendyc1275
begetela1325
profitablea1325
speedful1340
worth1340
speedyc1380
behoveful1382
fructuousc1386
fruitfulc1386
vailable1390
availantc1420
availingc1420
commodious1420
commodous?1440
available1474
behovablea1475
advantageousc1485
profitly1485
beneficiala1513
advantageable1548
sanative1548
gainful1555
vantageable1570
vantageous?1572
gainy1573
comfortable1576
conducent1578
advantageous1591
bootful1594
availful1598
conducible?1611
commoditous1621
conducing1624
conduceful1635
proficuousa1642
proficaciousa1660
beneficenta1676
conducive1710
benefactory1744
benignant1791
sanatorya1832
beneficiary1836
1555 J. Bale in J. Strype Eccl. Memorials (1721) III. App. xxxix. 108 It promiseth ful remission of our sins thro Christ's gainful sufferings.
1586 J. Davis Let. 14 Oct. in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) iii. 786 I hope..that your skill in nauigation shall be gainefull vnto you.
1658 R. Allestree Pract. Christian Graces; or, Whole Duty of Man ii. §18. 49 We are to consider it, as the gainfullest, as the joyfullest day of the week.
1861 M. Arnold Pop. Educ. France Introd. 36 An intervention gainful and agreeable to friends, injurious and irritating to enemies.
1884 Manch. Examiner 14 Nov. 5/3 They have no objection to the expedition, which will be gainful to them in many ways.
b. esp. Leading to pecuniary gain; lucrative, remunerative.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > management of money > income, revenue, or profit > getting or making money > [adjective] > profitable
winning1435
lucrous1511
beneficial1526
lucrative1526
gainful1561
profitful1568
gainsome1579
profiting1590
requiteful1607
pennisome1631
lucriferous1648
opulent1648
emolumental1664
quick1681
well-metalleda1734
pay-rent1742
profitable1758
emolumentary1775
remunerative1813
economical1815
repaying1820
well-paying1832
benefited1837
paying1841
payable1855
money-making1887
economic1899
bankable1927
megadollar1963
money-spinning1973
1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin Inst. Christian Relig. iv. f. 86 By this pretence they make moste gainefull markets.
1610 P. Holland tr. W. Camden Brit. i. 717 The Hollanders and Zelanders..make a very gaineful trade thereof [herrings].
1692 R. South 12 Serm. I. 610 He will dazle his Eyes..with the luscious Proposal of some gainfull Purchase.
1744 S. Johnson Acct. Life R. Savage 12 Savage..then attempted a more gainful Kind of Writing.
1791 ‘T. Newte’ Prospects & Observ. Tour 302 It is likely to turn out a very gainful undertaking.
1830 M. R. Mitford Our Village IV. 108 She..speedily established a regular and gainful trade in milk.
1871 E. A. Freeman Hist. Norman Conquest (1876) IV. xvii. 85 The gainful Crafts of the goldsmith and the moneyer.
c. ⁋In the following quot. gainful is treated in some dictionaries (after Sympson) as a different word, f. gain prep., and meaning ‘untractable, fractious’; but the context seems to admit of the interpretation ‘lucrative’.
ΚΠ
a1625 J. Fletcher Pilgrim iv. iii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Hhhhh4v/2 You will find him gainfull, but be sure ye curb him.
2. Of persons and their actions: Bent upon making gain; adapted to make gain. rare.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > management of money > income, revenue, or profit > getting or making money > [adjective] > bent on or adapted to making gain
breadwinning1831
gainful1870
1870 W. Morris Earthly Paradise: Pt. IV 26 Ah, for these gainful men—somewhat indeed Their sails are rent, their bark beat.
1871 S. Smiles Character xi. 308 Withdrawing the mind from thoughts that are wholly gainful, by taking it out of its daily rut.
1882 F. W. Farrar Early Days Christianity II. 66 Men make gainful plans for the future without any reference to God.
Derivatives
ˈgainfully adv.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > convenience > [adverb]
gainlyc1175
covenablyc1384
goodlyc1405
commodiously1420
handsomely1538
gainfully1549
conveniently1633
cleverly1697
commodely1749
commody1766
handily1793
accommodatingly1796
society > trade and finance > management of money > income, revenue, or profit > getting or making money > [adverb] > profitably
well1532
gainfully1549
profitably1668
productively1770
remuneratively1838
lucratively1848
payably1878
1549 M. Coverdale et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. II. 2 Cor. ix. f. lviv God..is sufficiently able..to make your almes dedes gaynfully to returne vnto you.
1628 Strafford in Browning Life (1891) 292 I am..gainfully, commodiously seated for the service both of king and people.
ˈgainfulness n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > advantage > [noun] > advantageous or beneficial quality
profitablenessa1398
profitabilitya1500
fruitfulness1509
beneficialness1587
propitiousness1593
gainfulness1646
advantageousness?1649
favourableness1775
society > trade and finance > management of money > income, revenue, or profit > getting or making money > [noun] > profit-making
gainfulness1646
money-spinning1855
profit-making1856
payability1916
1646 W. Jenkyn Reformation's Remora 30 The toothsom gainfullnesse of a silver shrine.
1668 J. Howe Blessedness of Righteous Disc. (1825) 163 If you would comprehend the gainfulness [of godliness] fully.
1868 H. S. Maine Village Communities (1876) 393 The Bar is getting to be more and more preferred to Government service..both on the score of its gainfulness and on the score of its independence.
1880 Nat. Respons. Opium Trade 27 Drawbacks to the gainfulness of the opium trade to India.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1898; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1549