bottom line

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

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

bottom line

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

“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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bottom line¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

The impact of this extra charge was priced in and offset the benefit of topline improvements from growth in loan and deposit volumes on the bottom line.

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With an advantageous geographic footprint, ongoing synergies flowing to the bottom line, and growing energy demand, it also looks like one of the best buys in the industry.

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That remains another simmering concern for investors looking for evidence that the billions being spent on data centers and chips is finding its way into the bottom line of the market’s most important stocks.

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Often, the result is poor service delivery and inflated costs, damaging the country’s economic bottom line, according to Gumede.

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“The bottom line is that Australia is a good deal for the United States,” said John Blaxland, a professor of international security at the Australian National University.

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Related Words

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