The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word LUCRATIVE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
L
U
C
R
A
T
I
V
E
More clues leading to the result LUCRATIVE
- New cute rival paying well
- Vital cure not exactly profitable
- Profitable travel I organised entertaining posh clients principally
- Developing vital cure is profitable
- Cut a liver out – it’s producing profit
- Manufacture of vital cure brings in profits
- Developed vital cure that’s
- Traitor after endless fortune — one has to be well-paid
- Profitable cure vital to be developed
- Making money, renegade crossword compiler’s after endless fortune
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "profitable/ (9)" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case profitable/ (9) = lucrative.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LUCRATIVE mean?
LUCRATIVE adjective- Producing a surplus; profitable.
- Of a target: worth attacking; whose destruction is militarily useful.