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

Executives said that will hurt the company’s bottom line, since corn tends to be a more profitable business.

From The Wall Street Journal

Among those badly hit are airlines, with many having to rethink flights through the Middle East, while the rising cost of fuel hits their bottom line.

From Barron's

With an improved bottom line, management wants to boost Petco’s top line.

From The Wall Street Journal

The size of that investment indicates how important the parks are to Disney’s bottom line.

From Los Angeles Times

These punitive moves have significant implications for the company’s bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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