capital gain

American  

noun

1. profit from the sale of assets, as bonds or real estate.

---

capital gain British  

noun

1. the amount by which the selling price of a financial asset exceeds its cost

---

capital gain Cultural  

1. Personal income earned by the sale of assets, such as stocks or real property. The gain is the difference between the price paid for the asset and the selling price. Most conservatives want capital gains taxed at a lower rate than ordinary income in order to stimulate investment, whereas most liberals oppose a lower rate for capital gains as a subsidy for the wealthy.

---

Etymology

Origin of capital gain

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Exempt, too, from capital gains taxation starter single-family rentals sold to an occupying tenant in good standing with at least 24 months on-time rental history.

From The Wall Street Journal

When you ultimately sell a security in that account, you’d pay tax based on long-term capital gains.

From MarketWatch

The outsize role that capital gains — income from certain investments — play in revenue makes the volatility worse.

From Los Angeles Times

Among others: a Roth IRA conversion; a large capital gain; and employer bonus or stock-option income.

From The Wall Street Journal

But for investors concerned about taxable capital-gain distributions, Kalivas said that the ETF structure’s tax advantages meant that it had never distributed a capital gain.

From MarketWatch