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basis point

American  

noun

Finance.
  1. one hundredth of one percent, as of interest rates, or investment yields.


basis point British  

noun

  1. a measure used for describing interest rates, equal to one hundredth of a percentage point (0.01%)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of basis point

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

AT&T’s postpaid-phone churn for the quarter dropped just a single basis point compared to a year earlier, despite price hikes.

From MarketWatch Jul. 23, 2026

The two-year Treasury yield declined 0.6 basis point to 4.254%, while the 10-year Treasury yield was up 0.2 basis point at 4.629%.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 22, 2026

The two-year Treasury yield rose 1 basis point to 4.147%, while the 10-year yield was up 1 basis point to 4.409%, according to Tradeweb.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 25, 2026

The central bank's 25 basis point hike this week followed a 50-point lift last month, and another increase is expected at its policy meeting next week.

From Barron's Jun. 11, 2026

In an industry where every basis point matters and fund flows follow performance, index providers have strong commercial incentives not to miss the next stock-market superstar.

From MarketWatch Jun. 2, 2026

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