bottom-line

1 of 2

adjective

bot·​tom-line ˈbä-təm-ˌlīn How to pronounce bottom-line (audio)
1
: concerned only with cost or profits
2
bottom-liner noun chiefly US, often disparaging

bottom line

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the essential or salient point : crux
b
: the primary or most important consideration
2
a
: the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows the net profit or loss
b
: financial considerations (such as cost or profit or loss)
c
: the final result

Examples of bottom-line in a Sentence

Noun If our flight is late, we will miss our connection. That's the bottom line. A student with special needs can stress a school's budget, but the bottom line is that the state must provide for the child's education. How will these changes affect our bottom line? He's always got his eye on the bottom line. He says his bottom line is $120,000.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The bottom line: Ohio has been slipping away from Democrats at the presidential level. Hans Nichols, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024 Colgate-Palmolive — The consumer products stock was roughly 2% lower despite surpassing analysts’ estimates on the top and bottom lines in the third quarter, and raising the lower end of its sales forecast. Brian Evans, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024 This clubbed with a 4.6% fall in total shares outstanding resulted in the bottom line of $6.84, reflecting a 1% y-o-y rise. Trefis Team, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 The bottom line: The ideal pregnancy gift is one that takes pampering (or distracting) into account. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bottom-line 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bottom-line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of bottom-line was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near bottom-line

bottomless pit

bottom-line

bottom line

Cite this Entry

“Bottom-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bottom-line. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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