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

But they remain roughly 80 cents to 90 cents a bushel off from what Purdue forecasts as “break-even levels” for farmers working on average productivity soil.

From The Wall Street Journal

Xeneta’s chief analyst, Peter Sand, said he expects some importers will push for contract rates 10% to 15% lower than last year, but they will face pushback from carriers operating at close to break-even levels.

From The Wall Street Journal

Tuesday’s bounce put the S&P 500 fractionally ahead for the year, but that break-even showing belies massive moves underneath.

From Barron's

Earnings per share rose to 43 cents from break-even last year, topping the FactSet EPS consensus of 16 cents.

From MarketWatch

That vehicle, likely at a lower price, can help boost sales and move the company toward break-even results.

From Barron's