break-even

or break·e·ven

[ breyk-ee-vuh n ]
/ ˈbreɪkˈi vən /

adjective

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

noun

Energy. the stage at which a fission or fusion reaction becomes self-sustaining.

Origin of break-even

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Definition for break even (2 of 3)

Origin of break

before 900; Middle English breken, Old English brecan; cognate with Dutch breken, German brechen, Gothic brikan; akin to Latin frangere; see fragile

synonym study for break

1. Break, crush, shatter, smash mean to reduce to parts, violently or by force. Break means to divide by means of a blow, a collision, a pull, or the like: to break a chair, a leg, a strap. To crush is to subject to (usually heavy or violent) pressure so as to press out of shape or reduce to shapelessness or to small particles: to crush a beetle. To shatter is to break in such a way as to cause the pieces to fly in many directions: to shatter a light globe. To smash is to break noisily and suddenly into many pieces: to smash a glass.

OTHER WORDS FROM break

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH break

brake break

Definition for break even (3 of 3)

Origin of even

1
before 900; (adj.) Middle English; Old English efen; cognate with Gothic ibns, Old High German eban, Old Norse jafn even, equal; (adv.) Middle English even(e), Old English efne, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English evenen, Old English efnan to lower, derivative of the adj.

SYNONYMS FOR even

1 plane. See level.
12 tranquil, temperate, composed, peaceful.
13 just.

OTHER WORDS FROM even

e·ven·er, noun e·ven·ly, adverb e·ven·ness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for break even (1 of 4)

break even

verb

(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 breakeven

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

British Dictionary definitions for break even (2 of 4)

break
/ (breɪk) /

verb breaks, breaking, broke or broken

noun

interjection

boxing wrestling a command by a referee for two opponents to separate

Word Origin for break

Old English brecan; related to Old Frisian breka, Gothic brikan, Old High German brehhan, Latin frangere Sanskrit bhráj bursting forth

British Dictionary definitions for break even (3 of 4)

even 1
/ (ˈiːvən) /

adjective

adverb

verb

to make or become even

Derived forms of even

evener, noun evenly, adverb evenness, noun

Word Origin for even

Old English efen; related to Old Norse jafn even, equal, Gothic ibns, Old High German eban

British Dictionary definitions for break even (4 of 4)

even 2
/ (ˈiːvən) /

noun

an archaic word for eve, evening

Word Origin for even

Old English ǣfen; related to Old Frisian ēvend, Old High German āband

Scientific definitions for break even

even
[ ēvən ]

Divisible by 2 with a remainder of 0, such as 12 or 876.

Idioms and Phrases with break even (1 of 3)

break even

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]

Idioms and Phrases with break even (2 of 3)

break

Idioms and Phrases with break even (3 of 3)

even