gainfulPronunciation: /ˈgeɪnfʊl, -f(ə)l/Translate gainful | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of gainful adjective [attributive] serving to increase wealth or resources:he soon found gainful employmentDerivatives gainfully adverb [as submodifier]:she was gainfully occupied gainfulness noun gainful in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of gainful in the US English dictionary