line item

noun

: an appropriation that is itemized on a separate line in a budget
line-item adjective

Examples of line item in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The biggest line item in that request ($750,000) would go to the replacement of an HVAC system. Mark Lamster, Dallas News, 15 Aug. 2023 After weeks of public work sessions to determine the council’s top funding priorities, council members submitted lists ranking their must-have line items to council staffers so that cuts could be made before a final reconciliation list was made public Thursday morning ahead of the preliminary vote. Katie Shepherd, Washington Post, 24 May 2023 Grossman says of this approach, noting that line items suggesting the extra fee covers, say, employees’ healthcare are particularly egregious, maximizing embarrassment when resisting a supposedly optional upcharge. Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 24 Aug. 2023 The long-standing and mostly excellent financial advice about reducing spending is to find ways to cut back on your most expensive line items. Paco De Leon, refinery29.com, 23 Aug. 2023 One way to start negotiations: Look carefully at each line item in an offer and question what the cost is covering. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2023 Illinois’s 2024 budget took effect on July 1, and notably absent among the line items was an extension for a program improving the lives of thousands of working families. Matt Paprocki, National Review, 10 July 2023 Before last year, the council could only approve or deny the mayor’s overall budget proposal and could not move money between line items unless the mayor had requested it. Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 28 June 2023 It’s split up into House Bill 1, which includes all the numbers and line items, and House Bill 2, a sprawling 224 pages filled with descriptions of the different policies the money would go toward. Amanda Gokee, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'line item.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of line item was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near line item

Cite this Entry

“Line item.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/line%20item. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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