Definition of bailout
: a rescue from financial distress
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
Examples of bailout in a Sentence
government bailouts of large corporations
Recent Examples of bailout from the Web
-
Bronin’s exit from the statewide race comes shortly after a massive bailout was announced for Hartford.
-
Opponents contend the bill would inject greater risk into the financial system, possibly increasing the likelihood of a repeat of the economic crisis that convulsed the nation a decade ago and forced a taxpayer bailout of Wall Street.
-
Appearance and demeanor count for much; Zuckerberg will want to avoid the kind of tone-deaf foible the Big Three automakers made in 2008 when, while asking for a $25-billion taxpayer bailout, arrived in Washington on private jets.
-
The emissions standards in play were developed in 2009, at a time when oil prices were higher, sales of larger vehicles like SUVs were lower, and American automakers had recently taken a bailout from the US government.
-
The plan is a blueprint for the coal-industry bailout that Perry announced in September.
-
The plea quickly drew skepticism from critics, who argued FirstEnergy was looking for a government bailout to prop up a coal power industry that faces a uncertain future.
-
The 56-year-old Varoufakis was Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' outspoken finance minister for six months in 2015, but split from the party when Greece signed up to its third successive international bailout.
-
That has increased speculation that the government will have to go to the IMF for what would be its 13th bailout since 1988.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bailout.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of bailout
1939
Other Business Terms
bail out
Definition of bail out
1
: to parachute from an aircraft
Examples of bail out in a Sentence
if the meeting seems like it will never end, find an excuse to bail out
the government bailed out the savings and loan industry
First Known Use of bail out
1925
bail out Synonyms
Synonyms
bail, begone, bug off, bug out, buzz (off), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off, go, go off, move, pack (up or off), part, peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, run along, sally (forth), shove (off), step (along), take off, vamoose, walk out;
Related Words
abscond, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, run away, scat, scram, skip;
Phrases
beat it, hit the road, pull stakes (or pull up stakes), take a hike (also take a walk), take a powder;
Financial Definition of BAILOUT
bailout
What It Is
A bailout is financial help for ailing companies.
How It Works
Company XYZ is in the newspaper industry and has seen a dramatic downturn in its advertising sales. The company's board believes that if it can launch an interactive digital version of its product, which has been in development for two years, it could become a viable business again.
Company XYZ publishes the only paper in the county, and Company ABC loves the newspaper. Company ABC agrees to lend Company XYZ enough money to launch the new digital product, and it prices the loan at an interest rate below what Company XYZ could get anywhere else. Essentially, Company ABC gives Company XYZ a bailout.
Bailouts can be loans, but they can also be stock, cash, bonds, or other forms of money.
Why It Matters
Bailouts are essentially monies intended to get companies out of trouble. Often, governments give bailouts to companies whose bankruptcies would cost what the government deems "too many jobs" or cause "too much" damage.
Bailouts are a challenge to capitalism in its purest sense. Critics of bailouts argue, for example, that companies should be left to succeed and fail on their own merits, and that supply and demand in the free markets will always determine the worth of goods and services. Supporters of bailouts argue that bailouts are sometimes the lesser of two evils when it comes to a company failing and displacing thousands of workers.
Source: Investing Answers
BAILOUT Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of bailout for English Language Learners
-
: the act of saving or rescuing something (such as a business) from money problems
Law Dictionary
Learn More about bailout
-
See words that rhyme with bailout Spanish Central: Translation of bailout Nglish: Translation of bailout for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bailout for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up bailout? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
