break-even

or break·e·ven

[ breyk-ee-vuhn ]

adjective

1. having income exactly equal to expenditure, thus showing neither profit nor loss.

noun

1. break-even point.
2. Energy. the stage at which a fission or fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining.

break even

verb

1. intr, adverb to attain a level of activity, as in commerce, or a point of operation, as in gambling, at which there is neither profit nor loss

noun

1. accounting
   1. the level of commercial activity at which the total cost and total revenue of a business enterprise are equal
   2. ( as modifier )

      breakeven prices

Word History and Origins

Origin of break-even¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

Neither gain nor lose in some venture, recoup the amount one invested. For example, If the dealer sells five cars a week, he'll break even . This expression probably came from one or another card game (some authorities say it was faro), where it meant to bet that a card would win and lose an equal number of times. It soon was transferred to balancing business gains and losses. Novelist Sinclair Lewis so used it in Our Mr. Wrenn (1914). The usage gave rise to the noun break-even point , for the amount of sales or production needed for a firm to recoup its investment. [Late 1800s]

Example Sentences

More funding will be necessary for the athletes just to break even, but at least it initially helped get the trio to the Games.

From The Daily Beast

Then again, I feel The Lone Ranger might break even thanks to DVD sales.

From The Daily Beast

Next, consider that for the next four months, assuming no big shocks or great changes, the government will essentially break even.

From The Daily Beast

Which, probably not coincidentally, is well under the break-even price for shale oil projects.

From The Daily Beast

The red line is the approximate break-even price of the average tar sands producer.

From The Daily Beast

She was too young to know that under the world's judgments clean hearts break even more easily than soiled ones.

From Project Gutenberg

The more I think about todays game, fellows, the more certain I am that we were mighty lucky to break even!

From Project Gutenberg

What salary you receive over there would just about meet the expenses of the trip, so that you would break even.

From Project Gutenberg

The chromite petered out in a month and a half, and he was lucky to break even.

From Project Gutenberg

One year out of five will break even, two years will make a little money and the other two years will make big money.

From Project Gutenberg