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Profitable; advantageous; lucrative. "A gainful speculation." Macaulay. -- Gain"ful*ly, adv. -- Gain"ful*ness, n.

Being of advantage; conferring advantage; gainful; profitable; useful; beneficial; as, an advantageous position; trade is advantageous to a nation. Advabtageous comparison with any other country. Prescott. You see . . . of what use a good reputation is, and how swift and advantageous a harbinger it is, wherever one goe…

A purchase; also ( when not qualified), a gainful transaction; an advantageous purchase; as, to buy a thing at a bargain.

Gainful.

r who serves for wages; esp., one whose motive and interest in serving another are wholly gainful; a mercenary. "Lewd hirelings." Milton.

Yielding lucre; gainful; profitable; making increase of money or goods; as, a lucrative business or office. The trade of merchandise being the most lucrative, may bear usury at a good rate. Bacon.

Gainful; profitable. [Obs.] Boyle.

Producing profit; gainful. [Obs.]

Yielding or bringing profit or gain; gainful; lucrative; useful; helpful; advantageous; beneficial; as, a profitable trade; profitable business; a profitable study or profession. What was so profitable to the empire became fatal to the emperor. Arbuthnot. -- Prof"it*a*ble*ness, n. -- Prof"it*a*bly, adv.…

Bringing back in returns or in receipts the sum expended; incurring no loss, though not gainful; as, a saving bargain; the ship has made a saving voyage.