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.

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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

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bottom line Cultural  

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

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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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Discover More

“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

“The bottom line is this is a geopolitical risk premium market, not a supply shortage market, and until that changes, volatility remains the dominant feature,” FXCM’s Russell Shor says in an email.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

He urged Lebanon and Israel to use the Unifil mechanism for dialogue, saying "the bottom line is that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon needs to be respected".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The bottom line is that they had to do something in order to go home, and so they did.

From Slate • Mar. 28, 2026

The bottom line is that ExpressVPN is one of the more established VPN providers out there.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026

In fact, compared with Wal-Mart’s unctuous service ethic, Todd’s emphasis on the bottom line is positively refreshing.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Related Words

• cardinal
• critical
• crucial
• essential
• fundamental
• important
• indispensable