profiteering
Wartime price gouging
Profiteering is making excessive profits by exploiting difficult circumstances—wartime shortages, natural disasters, or other crises that limit supply or increase desperation.
The term carries strong moral disapproval, distinguishing opportunistic gouging from ordinary profit-seeking: accusations of profiteering during the pandemic, war profiteering.
The verb profiteer and noun profiteer (one who profiteers) share this condemnatory tone.
Excessive pricing during crises
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- loan sharkIllegal high-interest moneylender
- predatory lendingExploitative loan terms
- overchargingDemanding excessive payment
fleecing · extortion · shakedown · slumlord · sweatshop · wage theft · payday loans · rent-seeking
One seller, no substitutes
- cartelPrice-fixing coalition
- oligopolyFew firms dominate market
- price fixingIllegal coordinated rate-setting
- market manipulationArtificially distorting asset prices
antitrust · predatory pricing · cornering the market · trust · barrier to entry · vertical integration · merger · acquisition
Corrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- graftIllicit political gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- money launderingDisguising criminal proceeds' origins
cronyism · nepotism · insider trading · collusion · fraud · racketeering · payola · slush fund
Vendor of weaponry
- munitionsMilitary weapons and ammunition
- defense contractorCompany producing military goods
- military-industrial complexDefense and arms industry alliance
- war economyProduction geared toward conflict
rationing · black market · hoarding · scarcity · shortages · price controls · smuggling · contraband
Excessive desire for riches
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
- moneygrubbingObsessively focused on gain
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
- covetousnessExcessive desire for possessions
mercenary · grasping · insatiability · lucre · mammon · unscrupulous · unconscionable · exploitative
price gouging
Excessive pricing during crises
- usuryExtortionate money lending
- loan sharkIllegal high-interest moneylender
- predatory lendingExploitative loan terms
overcharging · fleecing · extortion · shakedown · slumlord · sweatshop · wage theft · payday loans · rent-seeking · scalping
monopoly
One seller, no substitutes
- cartelPrice-fixing coalition
- oligopolyFew firms dominate market
- price fixingIllegal coordinated rate-setting
market manipulation · antitrust · predatory pricing · cornering the market · trust · barrier to entry · vertical integration · merger · acquisition · conglomerate
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- graftIllicit political gain
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
money laundering · cronyism · nepotism · insider trading · collusion · fraud · racketeering · payola · slush fund · backroom deals
arms dealer
Vendor of weaponry
- munitionsMilitary weapons and ammunition
- defense contractorCompany producing military goods
- military-industrial complexDefense and arms industry alliance
war economy · rationing · black market · hoarding · scarcity · shortages · price controls · smuggling · contraband · bootlegging
avarice
Excessive desire for riches
- rapacityAggressive, seizing greed
- moneygrubbingObsessively focused on gain
- acquisitivenessDesire to gather wealth
covetousness · mercenary · grasping · insatiability · lucre · mammon · unscrupulous · unconscionable · exploitative · venal
- price crimesprice fixing, price gouging, price manipulation, predatory pricing, unfair pricing
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- wartimerationing, war economy, war bonds, war effort, evacuations
- wrongdoingmisconduct, crime, sabotage, crimes, misbehavior
- bad behaviorcheating, stealing, lying, greed, selfishness
- greedgreed, avarice, covetousness, cupidity, materialism
profiteeringfair trade
Equitable exchange between parties
fair dealing · ethical trading · fair pricing · transparent pricing · sustainable business
profiteeringphilanthropy
Generous giving for others
charity · altruism · humanitarian aid · humanitarianism · giving
profiteeringdiscounting
Reducing prices offered
subsidizing · price controls · price control · fair pricing · giving away
- war profiteeringExploiting conflict for gain
profit, profits, profitable, nonprofit, unprofitable, profiting, profited, profiteer, profitability