breakeven

noun break·even \ ˈbrāk-ˈē-vən \

Updated on: 3 Apr 2018

Definition of breakeven

: the point at which cost and income are equal and there is neither profit nor loss; also : a financial result reflecting neither profit nor loss

Recent Examples of breakeven from the Web

Today, the price has risen significantly to around $64, but that still falls short of what independent analysts believe is the country’s $70 per barrel breakeven point, according to an IMF report.

— justin worland, Time, "Here's How Cheap Oil Is Pushing Saudi Arabia to Reform," 22 Mar. 2018
Still, the company said the Model 3 would overcome those challenges and hit a breakeven point in gross profit margin by the fourth quarter of 2018.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "Tesla production snags delay Model 3 electric car," 1 Nov. 2017
The breakeven price has become a metric that oil investors and analysts are watching like hawks.

— irina slav, USA TODAY, "Share buyback: BP boosts the bullish case for oil," 5 Nov. 2017
Alta Mesa’s core acreage in Northeast Kingfisher County has among the lowest breakevens in the U.S. at around $25 per barrel, the company said.

— lynn cook, WSJ, "Oilman Jim Hackett Is Back With an Oklahoma Shale Play," 16 Aug. 2017
Square still loses money, though the business is approaching the breakeven point and revenues in its most recent quarter grew 26%.

— aaron pressman, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Square’s Overlooked Success," 8 Sep. 2017
The five-year breakeven rate, a measure of inflation expectations, is near a five-week low at 5.30 percent.

— arabile gumede, Bloomberg.com, "South Africa's Central Bank Expected to Hold Off on a Rate Cut," 19 July 2017
While down from January’s highs, the U.S. 10-year breakeven rate is 1.86 percentage points, compared with about 1.6 percentage points a year ago.

— brian chappatta, Bloomberg.com, "Bond Traders Ramp Up Bets on September for a Third 2017 Fed Hike," 9 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'breakeven.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of breakeven

1958

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break-even

adjective \ ˈbrāk-ˈē-vən \

Definition of break-even

: having equal cost and income

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First Known Use of break-even

1931

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in the meaning defined above

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BREAKEVEN Defined for English Language Learners

break-even

adjective

Definition of break-even for English Language Learners

: having equal costs and income

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breakeven

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break-even

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break-even

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breakeven

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break-even

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