'profit-seeker' originates from Modern English, formed by compounding 'profit' and 'seeker', where 'profit' meant 'gain/advantage' and 'seeker' meant 'one who seeks'.

'profit' came into English via Old French 'profit' (from Latin roots related to 'proficere' meaning 'to advance' or 'to bring forth'), while 'seeker' descends from Old English 'sēċere' (from the verb 'sēċan', 'to seek'); the compound 'profit-seeker' developed in modern English by joining these elements.

Initially the components meant 'advantage' and 'one who seeks'; over time the compound 'profit-seeker' acquired a specific sense of a person or organization that seeks financial gain, often with a negative implication of prioritizing profit over ethics.