-
below the line
below the lineadverbline131
-
below-the-line
below-the-lineadjectivedenoting the entries printed below the horizontal line on a company's profit-and-loss account that show how any profit is to be distributed
below the line
Americanadverb
adjective
-
denoting the entries printed below the horizontal line on a company's profit-and-loss account that show how any profit is to be distributed
-
(of an advertising campaign) employing sales promotions, direct marketing, in-store exhibitions and displays, trade shows, sponsorship, and merchandising that do not involve an advertising agency
-
(in national accounts) below the horizontal line separating revenue from capital transactions Compare above-the-line
Compare meaning
How does below-the-line compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
He held a mix of above and below the line roles on projects, including the low-budget feature “Tag: The Assassination Game,” starring Linda Hamilton and Robert Carradine.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
But the prospect of a stretch without Tatum provided the perfect timing for the Celtics to duck below the line and clean up their finances.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
If it was up to the commenters below the line on BBC Sport's articles about this series, Wane would already be out on his ear.
From BBC • Nov. 8, 2025
The ball instead hit an overhang just below the line for a home run.
From Washington Times • Jun. 5, 2023
Great as the qualities of van der Helst undoubtedly are, he remains below the line of demarcation which separates the second from the first-rate masters of art.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 3 "Helmont, Jean" to "Hernosand" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.