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Synonyms

bottom line

American  

noun

  1. the last line of a financial statement, used for showing net profit or loss.

  2. net profit or loss.

  3. the deciding or crucial factor.

  4. the ultimate result; outcome.

bottom line British  

noun

  1. the last line of a financial statement that shows the net profit or loss of a company or organization

  2. the final outcome of a process, discussion, etc

  3. the most important or fundamental aspect of a situation

"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
bottom line Cultural  

  1. The last line in an audit, which shows profit or loss.

bottom line Idioms  

  1. The ultimate result, the upshot; also, the main point or crucial factor. For example, The bottom line is that the chairman wants to dictate all of the board's decisions, or Whether or not he obeyed the law is the bottom line. This is an accounting term that refers to the earnings figures that appear on the bottom (last) line of a statement. It began to be transferred to other contexts in the mid-1900s.

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“Bottom line” also has a derogatory implication when it refers to those people whose attention to the bottom line prevents them from recognizing the value of anything else.

By extension, “bottom line” refers to the final, determining consideration in a decision.

Other Word Forms

  • bottom-line adjective

Etymology

Origin of bottom line

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.

The bottom line: If you’ve ever been tempted to sell in May, this is your best chance to sidestep a mediocre market — or worse.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

The bottom line was he just wanted to be Hal again and have fun.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The facility boosted the company’s bottom line by about $60 million in the first quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

At least so far, AI seems to be boosting, not hurting, H&R Block’s bottom line.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

The bottom line is, he might have loved Raquel.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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.