bottom-line

1 of 2

adjective

bot·​tom-line ˈbä-təm-ˌlīn 

1

: concerned only with cost or profits

2

: pragmatic, realistic

bottom-liner

ˈbä-təm-ˌlī-nər 

noun chiefly US, often disparaging

bottom line

2 of 2

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

Noun

• essence
• root
• core
• heart
• kernel
• sum and substance
• point
• the long and short
• sum

Examples of bottom-line in a Sentence

Noun

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

Noun

Cisco beat analysts' expectations for the top and bottom lines during its fiscal 2025 fourth quarter. —Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 16 Aug. 2025

The bottom line is a lot of teams are packed close together. —Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025

Businesses and their bottom lines can’t afford to wait to invest in resilience. —Dan Lambe, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

The bottom line: Both fresh and frozen berries have the same nutritional value, though fresh berries will lose nutrients much faster than frozen berries. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1968, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for bottom-line

• acridine
• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• atropine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine