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牟利 (móu lì) — to seek profit through dishonest or improper means

Definition

A formal written verb for 'seeking profit by improper or illegal means' — always carries a negative, often legal, connotation.

verb
to seek profit through dishonest or improper means

Examples

  • 牟利。
    Zhè jiā gōng sī tōng guò fēi fǎ shǒu duàn móu lì.
    This company sought profit through illegal means.
  • 牟利。
    Tā lì yòng zhí wù zhī biàn móu lì.
    He used his position to seek profit.
  • 牟利。
    Zhè zhǒng xíng wéi shǔ yú bú zhèng dāng móu lì.
    This kind of behavior constitutes improper profit-seeking.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

牟mùseek/gain
利lìprofit

牟利 combines 牟 (seek/gain) and 利 (profit): to seek profit.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

牟 originally drew an ox with a mark representing its lowing.

Open 牟 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

利 combines 禾 (grain) and 刀 (knife), showing a knife used to cut grain.

Open 利 →
Appears in
Business & Commerce

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