capital gain

American  

noun

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

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capital gain British  

noun

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

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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.

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Etymology

Origin of capital gain

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

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 • Jan. 22, 2026

A large-enough capital gain could affect how much you pay for Medicare.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2025

By leveraging tax incentives like capital gain offsets to eliminate taxes on donations, crypto giving is as financially smart as it is impactful.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2024

If, as I am inclined to believe, your view can be widely extended, it will be a capital gain to the doctrine of evolution.

From More Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1 by Darwin, Francis, Sir