利益|りえきrieki[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounprofit; gains
   一郎いちろうは利益りえきよりも友情ゆうじょうを大切たいせつにする。↗

   Ichiro puts friendship above profit.
2. nounbenefit; advantage; good; interests (e.g. of society)
   利益りえきになるような本ほんを読よみなさい。↗

   Read books that are worthwhile.
3. noun, suru verb, transitive verbgrace (of God, Buddha, etc., esp. as attained through rightful actions, prayer, adherence to one's faith, etc.); blessing; miracleusu. ご〜

• Synonym利得りとくWrittenA written/formal prose word for gains or profits obtained, common in legal and economic set phrases such as 「不当利得」; it can also mean the gain of an electric circuit.
• Synonym利りWrittenA single-character word used mainly in fixed expressions such as 「地の利」 and 「漁夫の利」; it also carries the sense of interest, as in 「利子」 and 「利息」.
• Synonym収益しゅうえきWrittenRevenue a business earns from its operations, counted before expenses are deducted; 「利益」 is the surplus left after costs are subtracted.
• Synonym益えきWrittenMeans benefit or good, as in 「何の益もない」 and 「公益」; a written/formal prose word that can also refer to profit.
• Synonym利潤りじゅんWrittenEconomics term for profit after costs are deducted, used mainly in theory and business analysis; 「利益」 is more general and can also mean a benefit.
• Synonym益金えききんFormalFormal tax and accounting term for the amount counted as income when calculating corporate tax; not used in everyday speech.
• SynonymゲインNeutralLoanword for the gain of a circuit or signal, or investment returns as in 「キャピタルゲイン」; it does not refer to benefits in general.
• SynonymためNeutralAs a formal noun it expresses benefit for someone, as in 「子供のためになる」; it covers good or advantage, not monetary profit.
• Synonym儲けもうけNeutralColloquial word for money earned, as in 「儲けが出る」; 「利益」 is more formal and can also refer to non-monetary benefits.
• SynonymプロフィットNeutralLoanword for profit, heard mostly in business jargon; in everyday speech people say 「利益」 or 「儲け」.
• Related売り上げうりあげNeutralThe takings from selling goods, before any costs are deducted; 「利益」 is the money left over after those costs.
• Related売上高うりあげだかWrittenWritten/formal prose accounting term for total sales over a period; on financial statements it is listed separately from 「利益」.
• Related売上金うりあげきんNeutralThe money actually received from sales, as in 「売上金を盗む」; it points to the cash itself rather than any surplus.
• Related報いむくいWrittenWritten/formal prose word for the reward or retribution one's actions bring back, often a bad outcome as in 「悪事の報い」; it never means economic profit.
• RelatedプラスNeutralMeans plus or positive, and by extension beneficial or advantageous, as in 「経験がプラスになる」; common in colloquial speech.
• Related所得しょとくWrittenIncome of individuals or corporations, used mostly in tax contexts such as 「所得税」; 「利益」 usually means business profit or a benefit.
• Related報酬ほうしゅうWrittenRemuneration received for labor, services or help, as in 「成功報酬」; it is not a business surplus.
• Related得分とくぶんWrittenRead 「とくぶん」; an archaic word for profit or one's share of proceeds that is essentially no longer used today.
• Antonym損失そんしつWrittenAntonym: the loss of assets or profits, opposed to 「利益」 in profit-and-loss terms, as in 「損失を出す」.
• Antonym損害そんがいWrittenAntonym: damage or loss suffered, often from accidents or disasters, as in 「損害賠償」; it stands opposite to gaining a benefit.
• Antonym赤字あかじNeutralAntonym: a state in which expenses exceed income, the opposite of being in profit, as in 「赤字経営」; its original sense is red writing.

Use 「利益」 for a company's surplus after costs or for a benefit in general; in casual speech about money earned, say 「儲け」. For sales takings before costs use 「売り上げ」, for personal or corporate income in tax contexts 「所得」, and for pay for services 「報酬」. Written alternatives: 「利潤」 is the economics term for profit, 「収益」 revenue before expenses, 「益金」 a tax term, while 「プロフィット」 and 「ゲイン」 are loanwords for business profit and technical gain. Antonyms: 「損失」, 「損害」, 「赤字」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. （りやく）神かみや仏ふつから与あたえられるめぐみ。ご利益りやく。
2. （りえき）ある期間きかんにおいて、収入しゅうにゅうが支出ししゅつを上回うわまわった時ときに生しょうずる収入しゅうにゅうと支出ししゅつの差額さがく。もうけ。
3. （りえき・りやく）ためになること、役立やくだつこと。
4. 神かみや仏ふつがめぐみを与あたえる。