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

To assess the net environmental impact, the research team conducted a "break-even analysis" to determine if the plastic bag policy, despite the negative spillover effects, ultimately reduced plastic waste.

From Science Daily

And, the game will eliminate break-even tickets, meaning that when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket.

From Los Angeles Times

And, the game will eliminate break-even tickets, meaning that when a player wins, they’ll always win more than the cost of the ticket.

From Los Angeles Times

“The idea was that if the total concert expense, including advertising, talent, labor, etc., could result in break-even or better, that was how success was defined,” said Alan Balch, a longtime Santa Anita marketing and public relations executive who is the executive director of the California Thoroughbred Trainers.

From Los Angeles Times

“It enabled concertgoers to come to the races earlier, at the regular low track admission price, but then have to pay a much higher admission to come to the concert alone. To any regular racing fan attending those days, it was a win-win — large numbers of new fans being introduced to the races, with the attendant buzz in the crowd. The after-race concerts did not disturb any racing activities. This is the very definition of successful market development, provided the concert cost-benefit analysis indicated break-even or better.”

From Los Angeles Times