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

In Dallas, consumers would need to use one less grocery bag every seven trips, while in Austin, it would be one less bag every five trips to break even in terms of environmental impact.

From Science Daily

By then, it also expects to be capable of producing 200 units a year, and to be breaking even in cash terms.

From BBC

He contended last year that the site was regaining advertisers and “roughly” breaking even.

From Los Angeles Times

Already, it’s all paid off: Eleven days before the first performance, the show broke even, setting records for the theater’s season subscriptions and single-ticket sales — a rare return in today’s regional theater landscape.

From Los Angeles Times

But mayor Brugnaro said he would have to wait for further analysis to see whether the budget for the scheme completely breaks even.

From BBC