break-even

American  

[breyk-ee-vuhn] / ˈbreɪkˈi vən /

Or breakeven

adjective

1. having income exactly equal to expenditure, thus showing neither profit nor loss.

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noun

1. break-even point.

2. Energy. the stage at which a fission or fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining.

break even British  

verb

1. (intr, adverb) to attain a level of activity, as in commerce, or a point of operation, as in gambling, at which there is neither profit nor loss

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noun

1. accounting

   1. the level of commercial activity at which the total cost and total revenue of a business enterprise are equal

   2. ( as modifier )

      breakeven prices

break even Idioms  

1. Neither gain nor lose in some venture, recoup the amount one invested. For example, If the dealer sells five cars a week, he'll break even. This expression probably came from one or another card game (some authorities say it was faro), where it meant to bet that a card would win and lose an equal number of times. It soon was transferred to balancing business gains and losses. Novelist Sinclair Lewis so used it in Our Mr. Wrenn (1914). The usage gave rise to the noun break-even point, for the amount of sales or production needed for a firm to recoup its investment. [Late 1800s]

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Etymology

Origin of break-even

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Example Sentences

Defensive staples stocks have done better amid the Iran War, but they’re basically break-even over the past year, with companies like General Mills and Kraft Heinz down over the past one- and five-year periods.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Its guidance for this year was break-even or better, but that was before the conflict in the Middle East sent crude, and by extension jet-fuel prices, skyrocketing.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

On Thursday, the five-year break-even rate, which reflects expectations for average inflation over the next five years, rose 5 basis points to 2.58%, according to FactSet.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

Markets whipsawed between losses and gains, finally settling at about break-even by the end of the day.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

“Perhaps there’s a break-even point for all propellants.”

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam