bottom line

noun

1

a

: the essential or salient point : crux

b

: the primary or most important consideration

2

a

: the line at the bottom of a financial report that shows the net profit or loss

b

: financial considerations (such as cost or profit or loss)

c

: the final result

Synonyms of bottom line

• essence
• root
• heart
• core
• kernel
• point
• sum

Examples of bottom line in a Sentence

If our flight is late, we will miss our connection. That's the bottom line.

A student with special needs can stress a school's budget, but the bottom line is that the state must provide for the child's education.

How will these changes affect our bottom line?

He's always got his eye on the bottom line.

He says his bottom line is $120,000.

Recent Examples on the Web

The bottom line Being sued over unpaid debt can be stressful for anyone, but Social Security recipients should know that their benefits generally receive strong federal protections from most private creditors. —Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 8 June 2026

The bottom line here is that car shoppers looking to save money at the pump have to do their homework to compare all of these aspects via online sources before setting foot onto a showroom floor. —Jim Gorzelany, Forbes.com, 5 June 2026

The company beat expectations on the top and bottom lines for the latest period, however. —Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 5 June 2026

Still, all of the bathos in the world can’t keep this would-be blockbuster from being a prime example of le cinéma du bottom line. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bottom line

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline