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book value

American  

noun

  1. the value of a business, property, etc., as stated in a book of accounts (distinguished from market value).

  2. total assets minus all liabilities; net worth.


book value British  

noun

  1. the value of an asset of a business according to its books

    1. the net capital value of an enterprise as shown by the excess of book assets over book liabilities

    2. the value of a share computed by dividing the net capital value of an enterprise by its issued shares Compare par value market value

"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 book value

First recorded in 1895–1900

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:

However, it commands a premium at three times tangible book value, which excludes intangible assets such as goodwill.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 15, 2026

Value stocks tend to trade lower than growth stocks relative to book value, earnings or revenue.

From MarketWatch Jul. 1, 2026

Micron shares currently trade at 19.9 times book value.

From MarketWatch Jun. 26, 2026

In the case of book value, it now needs so many adjustments as to be virtually useless.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 21, 2026

When two partners divide up the profits of a business between them they assign a notional book value to the stock in hand.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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