- the lowest line of the earnings report of a company, on which net profit per share of stock is shown
- Informal profits or losses, as of a business
- Slang
- the basic or most important factor, consideration, meaning, etc.
- the final or ultimate statement, decision, etc.
noun
- The last line on a balance sheet showing profit and loss is an example of the bottom line.
- The final rule you come up with after summarizing all the reasons for it is an example of the bottom line.
The bottom line is defined as the final result, outcome or decision, or the most important point.
YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2018 by LoveToKnow Corp
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"bottom line." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line>.
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bottom line. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line
bottom line
Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"bottom line." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line>.
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bottom line. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line
bottom line
noun
- The line in a financial statement that shows net income or loss.
- Financial matters, especially profit or loss.
- The final result or statement; upshot: “The bottom line, however, is that he has escaped” ( David Wise )
- The main or essential point: “A lot can happen between now and December, but the bottom line—for now—is that the city is still heading toward default” ( New York )
bottom-line
adjective
- Concerned exclusively with costs and profits: bottom-line issues.
- Ruthlessly realistic; pragmatic: a bottom-line political strategy.
Related Forms:
- bot′tom-line′
verb
THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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MLA Style
"bottom line." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line>.
APA Style
bottom line. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line
Noun
(countable and uncountable, plural bottom lines)
- (accounting) The final balance; the amount of money or profit left after everything has been tallied.
- (idiomatic, uncountable) The summary or result; the most important information; the upshot; the net-net.
- The bottom line is that there simply are not enough hours in the day to finish all there is to do.
Usage notes
When somebody talks about increasing the bottom line, it means doing things to either increase the revenue or decrease expenses so the net income increases.
Origin
A reference to the literal bottom line of an income statement or other accounting record.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
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MLA Style
"bottom line." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line>.
APA Style
bottom line. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line
bottom line - Investment & Finance Definition
Another way of saying net income. It draws its name from the fact that net income is the bottom line on an income statement.
Webster's New World Finance and Investment Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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MLA Style
"bottom line." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 05 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line>.
APA Style
bottom line. (n.d.). Retrieved December 05th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/bottom-line
Sentence Examples
- Union officials predict strikes could end the standoff that could result from this problem, but with cheaper labor in other countries, bottom-line prices may have the final word.
- Bottom-line: If you have a separate room absent of non-work related items, such as a bed and TV, and live alone, the home office deduction is rather straightforward.
- PriceGrabber: Bottom-line (shipping and taxes included) prices, ease-of-use.
Words near bottom line in the dictionary
- bottom line
- bottom-liner
- bottom-liners
- bottom-lines