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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.

It is also projecting 25 basis point headwind to full-year subscription gross margin and approximately a 200 basis point headwind to free cash flow margins for the year.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

The two-year Treasury yield was up 0.4 basis point at 3.779%, while the 10-year Treasury yield rose 1 basis point to 4.318%, according to Tradeweb.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

In Britain, 10-year Gilt yields traded as the highest levels since 2008 on Friday, extending a 50 basis point surge over the past two sessions, following hawkish rate signals from the Bank of England.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

The chances of a 25 basis point interest rate rise by the ECB to 2.25% at its September meeting have risen from about 50% on Tuesday to 70.8%, according to Refinitiv.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 11, 2026

For the full year, the company expects a 100 basis point headwind on its Ebitda margin from legal expenses, executives said on a call with investors.

From Barron's • Feb. 11, 2026